


Enkrateia

by L_ecureuil



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: 50/50 malec pov, Adoption, Alec and Maia BROTP, Alternate Universe - Greek Mythology, Ancient Babylonia, Ancient Greece, Ancient Persian Hipster Cafe, Athena - Freeform, Athens, Attempted Arranged Marriage, Canon Typical Violence, Exile, Gods and Heroes, Greek Mythology - Freeform, Hera - Freeform, Hermes - Freeform, Immortal Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, M/M, Mentions of Suicide, Misogyny, Mortal!Alec, Murder, Paranoia, Poisoning, Sexuality, THIS is SPARTA!!!!, Zeus - Freeform, god!Magnus, mentions of children being eaten by monsters (non explicit), mentions of era typical infanticide, mentions of era typical prostitution and slavery, princess!Maia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-18
Updated: 2018-03-18
Packaged: 2019-04-04 00:15:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 33,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14007945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/L_ecureuil/pseuds/L_ecureuil
Summary: Magnus is a god from a distant land who comes across a Greek man tormented by his own gods. Magnus is not cruel, he will not stand for the Greek gods tearing this brave man apart, so he concocts a plan to yank the toughened hero from the gods’ hands.Meanwhile, Alec’s mortal life is a never-ending chase, one which now consists of getting the Spartan Princess out of her cursed marriage. With not trust in the gods, Alec needs more than just his wits to keep them safe from the elements.He soon realizes someone peculiar is offering to lead the way.





	1. The Pigs and the Rich

**Author's Note:**

> Part of the 2018 Big Bang (SHAUMondays can be found in the tumblr tags).
> 
> I would like to thank my betas galacticfrost and oneknightstander. I wish them well in their next endeavours, and I thank them for working so hard! They are truly lovely. I would also like to thank magnus-rulerofhell for the stunning artwork. It was a pleasure to get to know you all! 
> 
> To the readers, not only do I not own Shadowhunters, but I also never lived in any of the ancient kingdoms I'm writing about--so if you happen to be a time traveler or a historian or both (both is better), I am open to criticism on my fantasy/historical fiction attempts. But if I am horribly wrong, please be kind with me, my little heart is already prone to alarm. 
> 
> Now lights, camera, action!

 

Huffing and grunting, Alec lowered his spear, preparing for the next attack. Lacerations covered his legs and torso, their tissues gaping. The gods knew he needed to scale the spartan palace and had sent six ferocious man-eating boars, whose tusks were already bloody with the villagers they’d skewered.  

The _Helot_ village the boars attacked was an encampment for Sparta’s slaves, natives of the island. Alec assumed the Helots wouldn’t kill him in his sleep because he’d been guarding their camp when the Spartans came out to terrorize them. Alec would wrestle Spartans and blind them. Then he would switch their clothes with those of a Helot and send the Helot out as a Spartan. It had worked for a couple weeks, it helped that Spartans lived in their armour and so that they barely noticed one missing teenager being switched with another. Additionally, Spartans didn’t raise their own kids so there were no parents to miss their children.

In hindsight, it was a horrible thing to do, but Alec needed a place to sleep and he could only do that in the Helot camp if he wished to stay unrecognized. The kings had sent messages throughout their ranks that he was in Sparta to kidnap a princess and that he had killed his way through their forces before.

Right, the killing. The boars screeched at him, which would have been terrifying a sound on its own even if they hadn’t just devoured Helot children.

Alec’s breaths were coming shallow from atop his post, the dread he felt sharpened his mind and amassed his concentration on shutting out unhelpful thoughts. This was no longer a fight with bullies looking to punch out slaves, but godly war machines tusks deep in the rib cages of innocents.   

Alec listed his situation to himself. His spear wouldn’t protect him against the boars, he would fair better with archery but he couldn’t go dig up his bow from where he’d hidden it in a pond. Unless he struck the boars exactly through their spines or faces, they would run up his spear and kill him, advancing through their pain to tear him asunder. Unfortunately, all he had was farming equipment and his useless piece of brass and oak. Unless… out of the corner of his eye, Alec saw one helot brandish a field fork--sort of like a triton but sturdier. It was blunter at the ends then he would have liked.

Noting the fires around the village and the six beasts, Alec took a chance. Using his speed and agility to run and flip across the boars, he reached the petrified Helot. Alec motioned to exchange his garden fork for his spear, which the Helot did without question, gazing in awe at the bronze gilded weapon now at his disposal. No Spartan would ever arm a Helot.

Then, without looking back, Alec lunged at the nearest boar. They were eating and not very bothered with Alec to begin with. This was all fine, the problem was they their maws were getting a fill of a child’s corpse, greedily tearing themselves slices.

Kicking off a rocky outcropping, Alec drove the forks teeth into the closest boar’s spine. He ripped the spine out and casted it away. Alec then steadied the fork and drilled it through the second boar’s eyes, pulverizing its brain. He kept going and going, trying to find peace in himself as he did what he’d been doing for the last twelve years to stay alive—kill or be killed by no matter what the gods threw at him. Tonight it was boars, another time it was possessed children and the time before that it was a chimera consisting of lion and snake pieces gruesomely attached. Sometimes Alec thought the gods rolled dice on what kind of creatures they sent after him. He wasn’t sure if these creatures were meant to make sense or were just playthings to waste his time. He’d been doing this for far too long, on the run since his parents and baby brother died. There was no doubt in his mind that the gods wanted him dead as well.

As the eldest, he bore the brunt of his parent’s punishment for killing themselves before the gods could get their hands on them. Since his parents prayed to other gods, they hadn’t gone to an afterlife accessible to Hades. This was why Zeus wanted to make Alec’s life, in particular, the existential equivalent of tripping into wasp nest. Alec hadn’t stopped running a day in six years without something ruining his peace.

The gods didn’t only send physical monsters, those were just their most effective torture devices. They tried to make him happy sometimes, only to take the source of joy away. These were blank attempts to control Alec’s mind, but he refused to take happiness in anything he was meant to enjoy.

There was no food that Alec liked that he would salivate over when he was starving, no maiden or prince attractive enough that Alec would lose control, there wasn’t anyone the gods could make who hurt Alec’s feelings. With his family out of their grasp, he was emotionally untouchable.

Jace, being a priest of Apollo, was protected by his faith in the sun god. At least Alec didn’t have to worry about his safety. He was just golden enough to be loved, and if Alec had taught him correctly—rather if he listened to anything Alec had ever told him, Jace should not brag about his own beauty and charm as he was so wont to do.

Isabelle had run off to another land at Alec’s begging, and six years ago wrote from where he assumed was Persia, the place the barbarians lived. He hadn’t gotten a letter since but that was for the best.

They were all he had left, everyone else had been pushed away by his constant mistrust. He was too mortal for the gods, too controlled and too sensible and it was ruining all of their stops.

Casting away the boar’s corpse from his fork, Alec fastened the bloody fork to his belt and marched back to the helot who held his spear.      

“What’s your name?” Alec said to the shaking helot.

“Duncan,” the helot responded, then noticed he was still clutching the spear and quickly attempted to thrust it back into Alec’s arms.

“Keep it,” Alec said, “Keep it and tell the Spartans you used it to kill the boars before they got to their camps.”

Duncan nodded through his shocked state and Alec clasped his arm to stop him from shaking, “The boars are gone, they were only here to stall me. Don’t fear their return, because gods don’t care about you enough to come back and check.” The truth was, the gods only knew what they could see, and Alec had boarded his expressions from emotionally conveying any response to their actions years ago.  

With that, Alec left to go to the river all whilst leaving the burning camp for a place which didn’t smell so strongly of ash and death. The river was quiet enough, dark under the scarce moonlight and smelled of honeysuckles. Alec on the other hand, reeked of blood due to his own wounds. Using a branch and pulley mechanism he had set up, Alec pulled in the sealed box of his best weapons. It was covered in aquatic plants on the one side, but the box’s seal was slightly loosened, meaning something had gotten into it. This meant his things were likely stolen. Gathering the box onto his lap, Alec opened it carefully. He’d specifically picked the design for its complex safety mechanism, but the gods were quick responders. Cracking it open with brute strength, Alec found arrows but no bow, and only half the arrows he had left.

Alec rolled out of the way when Isabelle’s gem started to pulsate and he dived into the water to avoid the onslaught of arrows aimed at him from the trees. His bow’s weight was three-hundred-pounds, but the gods had more than enough superhumans at their disposal. This was, unfortunately for the gods, exactly what Alec expected. He specifically placed his bow in a difficult area to have them steal it and call their work done.

Underwater, the lake spirits awaited him. Pale women’s faces appeared in the muddy water like moons, their water softened hair puffing out around them, masking his vision. These _naiads_ lost their beauty when they hooked themselves to his body with all their might, acting like full body weights. The water quickly started to tint red from the wounds he sustained during his encounter with the boars. Hopefully, this would give the shooter the impression that the job was done.

The naiads made it difficult for Alec to focus on swimming seeing as they were trying to drown him. They did their job of pulling at his limbs, some were brilliant enough to tug at his wounds but Alec wouldn’t break from his motions. Kicking forward, he kept swimming further down river until he reached the current. All down the river, Alec let the current take him as the naiads fought against it. And then, a strong tug took him rapidly off to a side lake, the one that lead to the place he needed to be. Water scratched harshly at his throat as he took another breath. Alec dived back into the current, shifting his body until he started to feel the sand at the bottom turn into stones. The current would bring him straight to his destination, it was a good thing he had taken the time to memorize the landscape. It made escaping certain doom just a little more probable. Alec felt his lungs burning just where he knew a tree bowed over the water. This would be his way of ripping himself from the deadly current. He lunged and caught a branch, hauling himself out with pure, unadulterated strength. One last slimy hand tried seizing him but he yanked his foot away leaving it scrabbling until the naiad found no purchase and sank back into the waves.

Alec could feel his muscle tear as he pulled himself out of the water and didn’t know if it was more or less painful than his wounds scraping against the riverbank. He saw feet near him and he twisted out of the way of a knife throw, nearly falling back in the river. He’d hate to get skewered, he’d only just started his mission.

“Alec,” the man said, “You’ve been a tiresome mortal to us, a difficult human to kill and a frustrating person altogether.” With those words, another knife flew which Alec barely dodged, it nicked him in the arm causing him to cringe further. He glared through the abuse his body was taking, spitting river water at the god’s feet. The god kept speaking, “No monster can kill you, we cannot lead you astray with temptation. Not even our polymorph spells had any effect on you. What god protects you?” By the tone it sounded more like ‘Who would protect the likes of you’? Blazing hate shone in the god’s eyes.

“There... is... no... god... helping me,” Alec laboured out.

“Don’t lie to me,” Alec pieced together that this man was indeed a god, if only he knew which one. Then he saw the snakes—or rather heard them approach him through the grass. It was Hermes, god of travelers and thieves and he’d brought his animals.

“How can I lie if I don’t know?” Alec said, his hand on the hilt of his knife on his belt, “I haven’t received any messages from anyone. Why don’t you find the traitor yourself and thank them for me?” he added lowly, trying and failing to keep the menace out of his voice.

Hermes’ snakes slithered towards Alec. Alec was ready to kick them into the water if they got any closer, see how they liked being forced into a river. They would probably fair better.

In anger, Hermes tore through his mortal form, his skin coiling away to reveal coarse streams of blinding light. Light that forced Alec to painfully shut his eyes. When Alec opened his eyes, he noticed the tree archer again, climbing across the gorge. Alec didn’t have time to fight him. He needed to climb this damn palace wall to save the cursed princess. After all, the gods already wanted him dead, why not add another reason to their endless list?

He looked up in time to witness the tree archer being speared. The archer, chest full of spear fell out of his tree and speared himself further on the rocks below. Alec barely processed Duncan the Helot on a horse who used his spear to protect him. “You saved my family!” Duncan called. Alec waved back, thanking him in a single motion which hardly felt like enough in the scheme of things. Alec was running out of time. He turned to look at the palace.

Taking the rock surface under his hand and pulling himself up over the first ledge of the palace, Alec swung himself onto the next perch. Rocks might scratch under his calloused hands, but they weren’t as difficult as wood fortification which gave splinters. He inhaled and kept scaling, it helped that there were not a lot of things on his mind to detract him from his task. He barely thought as he climbed up until he reached a post where the army tended to drop Greek fire during wars. Those posts were quiet tonight. There were no visible guards. Once he was in the palace fortifications, he noticed there were few guards around after all and those who were there were easy to hide from. Alec found out why they were scarce on the palace the moments into breaching the halls.

Lyres, flutes and wailing voices accompanied the chatter of the masses. A royal festivity was being held in the palace that night, and the guards were busily splitting drunken fights from happening among the rich folk.

Alec recognized the mournful song being played as an Athenian hymn to freedom, which he found pretty ironic given the Spartans built their kingdom on the blood of slaves. It was their personal freedom which they celebrated, he supposed, their freedom to oppress and murder. Across the corridor he found an empty room with a bed and a bath, a place which Alec closed himself into so that he could stop the dripping trail he left on their floor. A warm bath had been prepared for someone, luckily Alec wasn’t planning on staying long. He just needed to use some of the linens to dampen the tide coming from his raven black hair. Just as he was calculating his next move to get to the princess, footsteps came towards him. Alec rushed and hid behind a dresser covered in elaborately colours cloths.

Breathing through his mouth to keep his breath from whistling out, Alec stayed very still as someone got into the bath. Alec curled up as small as he could make himself.

His muscles tensed when the bather began speaking.

“Hmm, it would be such a shame if that cursed warrior from Athens came to the party tonight,” the speaker said to whom Alec assumed was their servant. He couldn’t see the man who spoke, he could only hear the splashing in the bath and the voice, “I would hate to see more bloodshed. He has been tricky to the gods on one hand, but on the other hand, the gods created this tricky situation themselves. They shouldn’t have poked a lion,” Alec felt his ears perk up. Nobody spoke about the gods like they were at fault, not unless they wished to be struck where they stood.

Moments passed, nothing happened. Then the man spoke again, “The princess has locked herself in her room two doors away from this one, she barricaded with a wall of sewing which is actually quite effective against the weapons the guards are using to try to enter. They would have to scale the building like you did to have a chance getting to her.”

Alec wrenched himself from his hiding place, forcing himself out in case whoever was on the other side prepared to stab him into a corner. Instead, there were no weapons, just a single man sitting at the edge of the bath with his legs in the water with no sign of a servant whatsoever. He curiously watched Alec like Alec was some kind of caged animal he’d never seen before.

“You need this bath more than I, Alexander,” he said gently. His skin was a warm colour, eyes surrounded by kohl and he was decorated in riches Alec had never seen. Everything about the way he looked was intricate. There was no simplicity, royalty resembled servants around this man who had gems in his hairline, gold patterned in his every garment, and more jewels strapped to his head, arms and chest than Alec had ever seen on one person. He was a good blinding, unlike Hermes’ true form.

For the first time, Alec felt the painful need to kneel to a deity, and it wasn’t some kind of magic, it was from the true power radiating from this man’s sweet, intoxicating smile. Not many people smiled at Alec without disgust so it was difficult for Alec to resist smiling back.

The man spoke tenderly, “Look at what they’ve done to you. They’ve run you to the ground,” he waved his bejeweled hands in a circular motion and Alec saw his own wounds close, his pain washing away with prickling energy.

“Why are you doing this?” Alec said, eyes wild, not an inkling of trust left in him for even the most beautiful man he had ever seen. “Who do you work for, enchanter?”

“Myself, and sometimes I do things for you,” he answered honestly, dark, brilliant eyes appraising Alec. “Now, you should bathe and change into something that doesn’t smell of boar or gutted children. I will wait here with you, looking away if you prefer it, I have some scripts to translate,” he said pointing to tablets and things written on deer hide. “Don’t mind me, I dabble as a scholar.”

The enchanter lifted his legs from the bath and turned his back to look at his leather manuscripts. Alec looked at the bath with fright, knowing the stories of kings who had been murdered by their own daughters in baths.

Alec carefully took off his clothes and armor and began dipping a cloth in the water and bathing oils, promptly scraping the clean mix across his skin with a strigil and washing himself off slowly, more slowly then if he had been in the bath. When he was done and smelled like olive oil and spices, he tied himself a chiffon.

Just as he was about to wash his armour in the bath, the enchanter stood up and turned around. “You won’t be needing those.”

Alec squinted at him, and began putting his armour on, never breaking eye contact, washing it be damned. The enchanter just watched him with raised eyebrows like he was witnessing a three-year-old throwing a particularly ineffective tantrum before admitting, “I can understand why you would feel unsafe without it.” He cast his hand out and Alec felt a breeze hit him. He felt clean and dry now but something was different. Cold metal touched his skin, a golden body chain replacing his leather necklace with Isabelle’s jewel embedded in the center. Scowling down at the new addition, he promptly looked up to scowl at the man instead.

“I’m Magnus,” the enchanter said, “And I need you to pretend to be my chaperone if you want to take the princess. You need an invitation and I need a date,” Magnus said. “It is the perfect meeting point of two priorities.”  

“If you align yourself with me the gods will kill you,” Alec said deadly serious, “It’s nice of you to try and help, but they want me dead. I’m cursed for a reason. You’re making yourself an enemy to the gods.”

“Let them bat their fists,” Magnus said, “I will protect you still.”

Alec stopped, baffled at the words, “Are you?”

“The god who has been protecting you? Why yes, I am. It’s nice to finally meet you, Alexander.”

Alec shook his head, not sure what to make of this. He didn’t trust this man, it wasn’t anything personal, it was just he was a god and those were the banes of his existence. “Let’s just find the princess,” Alec said shortly, not responding to Magnus the way he wanted.

Alec looked over his shoulder to Magnus as they left the bathing room. Magnus tried to reach out and comfort Alec, but abruptly pulled his arm away when he realized Alec did not respond well to being cared for, never mind touched.

“What god are you?” Alec said as they walked, letting Magnus walk in front of him since he didn’t trust him with his back turned.

“Not one of the Parthenon. I am not a god of the Greeks,” Magnus said, “I am from another land and was travelling to see how others conduct their godly business when I happened upon what they were doing to you. I can’t say that I’ve ever seen a mortal who knows how to revolt against gods quite as effectively as you do,” Magnus continued, “And just as you were pondering your afterlife of eternal punishment, I decided to sabotage part of your curse.” 

“Are you serious?”

“Absolutely,” Magnus said smiling mischievously, “I find messing with your fate _incredibly_ enjoyable. Wait until the gods check on your future with the fates, they will have a very different outcome then they had planned for you.”    

Alec didn’t quite know how to respond to this. “But what kind of god are you?”

“I am a god of magic, the son of a cave demon,” Magnus said smugly, “Unfortunately my travels haven’t been quite as interesting as say, Sun Wukong’s, but I have found your journey alone spices things up.”

A lot of what Magnus said went right over Alec’s head, but the fact that Magnus was not of the Pantheon probably meant he wouldn’t be powerful enough in a fight against the gods of the Parthenon, “So that’s it? I’m entertainment?” Alec said as they entered the party. The music echoed brashly against the palace walls. Scantily clad people danced for the royal audience with guards posted everywhere to watch each guest carefully. Magnus’ luster was much too distracting for anyone to even look at Alec.

“I find you sympathetic,” Magnus said to Alec, “Brave and kind. I don’t see what more I need to think to help you. I think you deserve my help even if you are only getting it for my entertainment, which you are not, by the way,” Magnus lent his head to the side, searching the crowd with a showy smile, the kind put on for these sorts of events. “The princess is supposed to be brought down at dawn for the marriage with a Spartan noble. I just thought it was a good idea to be seen by the guards as guests so they do not question us later.”

“Now,” Magnus continued, “Dance with me, won’t you? I want to be _seen_ ,” Alec frowned, but allowed himself to be moved across to the circle of people attempting a dance, the steps were Athenian, Spartan, Megarian, Corinthian and all the other surrounding areas. The way Magnus wanted him to dance did not follow their styles. His dance was clearly trying to emulate theirs but there were movements that just did not fit into the traditional Greek ones. Alec twirled him and tried for a dance he had learned as a child to celebrate weddings, but it did not work well with the music or with Magnus. Finally, Magnus got tired of it and told Alec to follow his movements instead.

“Aren’t we wasting time?” Alec said in Magnus’ ear as they danced.

“It’s not a waste of time if we’re enjoying ourselves,” Magnus said, “Now loosen those wrists, let me show you how to—”

“Will you stop protecting me if I don’t?” Alec inquired, retracting his movements which made Magnus stop in the middle of the dancers.

“No,” Magnus said, looking deeply disturbed by that idea, “Of course not, no,” he said, “Perhaps you should go eat. Come find me here when you are done. I forgot you haven’t eaten yet. After all, it is vital to mortal survival.”

Alec shot him a strange look before leaving him to dance. He found himself taking into account all the exits. Every detail of his surroundings kept in his mind in case he needed to make a run for it. Being here in the open was a very bad idea. A monster could attack at any moment from the ceiling, the forest...

Alec picked small pieces of food, not wanting to get indigestion. He didn’t want to get his stomach used to food either, never mind rich food. Stuffing his face like he had already was not going to be pleasant when he body went back to eating smaller portions.

It took some time for Alec to realize he’d wandered out of the palace hall and was following people who were going out to pee. He turned down the corridors to where he knew the princess was hidden. That was, if Magnus hadn’t lied to him.

One part of the charade that made Alec doubt Magnus was the fact that he didn’t just break the princess out with his own magic. Instead, he gave Alec the instructions and made him visible to all of the party. He didn’t understand Magnus’ motives at all. After taking a moment to contemplate his actions, Alec decided he would break the princess out and leave with her, having no interest in staying around a distracted god no matter how beautiful Alec found him.

Around the corner, he saw princess’ door which guards were trying to stab through. She sewed a thick wall of different materials and had sewed them in layers together over and over until they were practically unpierceable.

“Who are you?” One of the guards said, noticing Alec standing behind them.

“I was sent to get the princess from her chambers,” Alec said and when they scoffed he added, “It would be faster to scale the palace wall and enter from the window.”

“You’re saying you’ll carry a resistant princess in your arms while climbing?” one guard asked sizing Alec up.

“I’ll think of something,” Alec promised, “She can’t miss her own wedding.”

The guards nodded, some still trying to stab through her net, but they were too tired to continue and too embarrassed that their stabbing was useless.

They came to watch as Alec pulled himself out of the hallway window overlooking the same outdoors as the princess’. He climbed the side of the fortress with his bare hands. The callused skin on his hands and feet made it easier. If he continues climbing walls like this he would need thicker knees.

Alec reached the window pretty easily, only to receive a flying object to the head. It was a hair comb. As he put his hand on the sill, a jug of water was thrown at him, which he promptly dodged. Despite the flying objects, he shouldered his way through the window even while the princess tried to push him back out of it. Finally, he fell into her room, only to feel her kick his ribs like they were drawers that wouldn’t close.

“Psycho, monster, may the crows eat your corpse, by the gods, may you suffer!” she spat as she kicked him, to which he responded by catching her ankle and throwing her off balance.

The princess glared down at him. She was a good fighter, ferocious even, but she was also tired and it wasn’t helping her concentrate to her fullest capacity. Spartan princesses had their weaknesses too.

“I heard you came to bring me to my wedding,” she said, “And I’m already not interested so get out!”

Alec shook his head.

“You’re not getting out or you’re not bringing me to my wedding?”

Alec grunted, “The second,” too low for the guards to hear.

The princess gaped, crouching down. When she finally found her voice, she said, “Then why did you break in here?”

“You’re cursed to permanently turn into a wolf if you ever marry,” Alec said, “I came to provide you with a chance to escape your curse.”

“Great, my hero,” she said sarcastically, her diadem shining through her thick, beautifully crafted coif, “That sounds like something someone does if they have ulterior motives. Are you expecting my hand in marriage if I lose my curse?”

Alec, who was still lying on the ground, shook his head. He’d forgotten how comfortable lying down was. He was convinced he should lie down more often.

“Then what do you want?” she said.

“For you to lose your curse and live without it,” Alec said, “I’m sick of curses, I’m sick of them interfering with helpless people’s lives.”

“Who are you?”

“Someone with bad luck that can’t catch a break,” Alec responded, “Someone whose bad luck keeps them on the run, so I don’t have a life. I decided my duty is to remove curses from other mortals, until I find a way to do the same for myself. Is that too much to ask?”

“So, you’re doing this out of honour or boredom?” she asked.

“Yes,” Alec said which made her roll her eyes.

She glared down at him. “Did I actually hurt you or are you just lying there?” Alec nodded, which made her throw her hands up. “Why did the gods send me such a crow?”

“The gods could care less what happens to you,” Alec responded, finally getting himself propped on his elbows.

“If you’re lying to me…” she said.

“Then I’ll suffer either way,” Alec said, “My curse is unavoidable. Now get on my back,” he said, “So that I can get you down from here.”

She huffed indignantly but did what she was told, clasping her arms around his neck, “If you try dropping me I will choke you to death.”

“I’m counting on it,” Alec grumbled, crouching out the window. He saw the guards at the other window who were whooping. He waved to them, playing along, and took to the wall. Instead of climbing towards them, he was climbing directly down. When they noticed, they started getting antsy, only to yell at him when he didn’t go where they wanted. Alec scaled down at an impressive speed. The speed of someone who was used to avoiding losing his ankles to a chimera, and leapt the last couple of feet, landing in the dirt at the base of the palace.

“They’re going to look for us so we need to run. Now.” He said as she dropped herself to her feet, “How fast are you?” he elongated his sentence, asking her her name at once.

She smirked, “Oh, are you trying to get me to use my ego to run fast? That’s not necessary. I want to get the Hades out of here. It’s Princess Maia, by the way,” with that she bolted towards the forest with Alec sprinting in the corner of her sight. He had the advantage of longer legs but she was using quick steps to push her further faster. He indulged her for a bit, until they got into the forest where he moved to her side.

“If anything attacks, leave them to me, the gods don’t want you dead as much,” he said. He heard a horn go off behind them, ripping the birds out of the forest trees in panic.

“That’s them releasing the hounds,” Maia said, “We’ll be fine as long as we get to port before they do. Then we need to mask our scents.”    

Only as they were just able to see the horizon did Alec think about the god he had left behind in the castle. For the first time in a long time, he started to feel anxious. His palms were sweating, his breathing laboured. He realized that Magnus had gotten under his skin within the short amount of time he’d been in his life Alec also knew that he was going to be in trouble with the gods for the kindness he’d shown him. Alec heard Maia call him, but he gestured for her to continue running. He found himself stopping for the briefest moment of repreve to look back at the forest. He wished Magnus was safe back where he left him.

Thunder rumbled in the distance followed by an onslaught of rain pouring in the distance.

Suddenly, Maia was yanking his arm and he was running beside her again, feeling utterly helpless for the beautiful god he’d left behind. So helpless that Alec had to remind himself that Magnus was likely a trick, just like everything else in his life. He was the embodiment of everything Alec needed and wanted. Magnus had to be a mythical hoax, a tempter of some sort sent to be the scourge of Alec’s world.

Alec cursed himself. Magnus was most likely another Greek god in disguise and he’d been so stupid to indulge him so much.

They broke from the forest only to be met with the ocean port. Running on sand Alec said, “You need to take this boat,” motioning to a small vessel he’d seen fish the day before, “Go into hiding and move to another city state. You’re not safe while your uncle wants to marry you off to see if the curse is real,” he said to Maia. She nodded and clamped her hands into fists, mentally preparing herself for the journey.

“Thank you,” she said, “For everything,” she knit her eyebrows, “Do you want to come with me?” she asked.

“I can’t,” Alec said rubbing at his hands, “Poseidon will kill me. I nearly got eaten by a cyclops a couple of moons ago and he hasn’t parted with his hatred for me.”

“With your luck, how do you manage not getting struck by lightning?” Maia asked as she started to untie the boat.

“I can’t tell you the that,” Alec said, “They’ll use it against me. They must never know.”

The barking got louder. Maia looked around in a spooked way that Alec assumed meant she was afraid, but he found out moments later that she was planning something. She took a vase from the boat she was about to board and splashed him in the face with sea water, then, with the dagger she had at her side she cut the boat loose and jumped into the water, walking up the beach soaked after pushing the boat out to sea. “We’re hiding in the other boat,” she said, gesturing to the storage vessel, “They’ll think we got away.”

Alec nodded quickly, grabbing her hand to help her out of the sea and helping her onto the other boat. In turn she helped him climb and hide under the coarse, a sheep’s wool tarp where someone stored wine amphoras.

“Thank you,” Alec said lowly, pulling a piece of seaweed from her shoulder, “You didn’t have to do this,” she shushed him with a look and curled her body in a ball next to him.

They waited there under the tarp for a long time, listening to the shouting and growling which was directed quite comically at the empty boat on the sea.

For the first time that day Alec let himself feel nervous. Tremendously nervous of what laid ahead. He could feel his heartbeat shaking him, something he was used to keeping under control while he did things he thought he would have been capable of doing. As a teenager, he’d been a nervous wreck, running after his three siblings in an almost codependent way for the sake of his own sanity. He was the one who stopped Izzy from running around the streets alone without a man, Max from starting fires, and Jace... By the gods. Anything Jace decided to do on any given day was a full time job for Alec. That nervous energy stayed, forming into pressure within Alec’s chest. Despite his size, his strength and the expertise he garnered, it was all solidified from a life of fear, and it sickened him to the core.

He curled in on himself, trying to keep it from Maia as much as he could, for as long as he could. This wasn’t the time, because there was never a time. At the peak of action, he wished he could just disappear. He wished he could drink from the mystical river of forgetfulness, letting the waters from the Lethe drown away his memories. He was no use to his family anymore, so they didn’t need him to remember them. Instead, he lived in perpetual limbo. Running, fighting, killing, entertaining the gods.  

When the shore sounds died down, and Alec felt able to move safely. He peeled the tarp off from both of them, looking up at the now evening sky. That at least calmed him, it was forever familiar. He could feel the cool air lighten the burden of heat from his brow and sway him into a cool but grounded reality.

Warily, Maia joined him and stretched before she made a careening leap off the vessel, “Where next, crow face?”

Alec paused, mulling over her question under a heavy brow, “My name’s Alec, and we should try for Attica, get ourselves out of this Spartan hellhole,” he said, generally motioning to the distance he knew would lead there.

“You mean towards the Athenian hellhole?” Maia said, crossing her arms and said sarcastically, “I _love_ never leaving my house because every man assumes women are prostitutes if they aren’t at home.”

Alec looked away, “You could be a priestess,” he mumbled.

Maia laughed brittlely, throwing her hands up, “Are you saying I should walk right into another _polis_ claiming to be the Oracle of Delphi? That’s such a stupid idea.”

“Look,” Alec said, turning on his heel, “We’ll figure it out. We just have to get out of here.”

“You better not be walking me right into slavery,” Maia said, “If you try anything I will stab you in.”

Lips flattened, Alec started walking them alongside the radiant seashore towards some hills.

“Well?” Maia prompted.

“I don’t want to hurt you, or anyone if I can help it,” Alec said, head down, “If you get taken, I will hunt them and I will get you back to the best of my ability. Even then, you’re a Spartan. I’ve seen the regiments your women go through and I trust you’re not helpless.”

Alec barely heard Maia’s mumbled, “Damn right I’m not,” over the bellowing wind.  


	2. 300

“Do you need anything from the castle?” Alec asked Maia over the dead fish he was skinning for dinner. He sliced the scales off to the root with the blade he kept in his belt. From across the shelter they’d made, Maia watched him warily, working on cooking the meat he handed her by laying them on a bed of hot stones.

“I’m not sending you back to the castle,” Maia said, “That would endanger your life.”

Alec shook his head, “Everything I do endangers my life. If I cared about my own safety, I wouldn’t be asking.”

“Are you saying your life doesn’t matter?” Maia said. “You don’t seem very grateful for being alive this long.”

“There’s nothing to be grateful for,” Alec said, “Every torture in the mortal world delays the inevitable in the underworld. Either place I go, I won’t stop struggling against the gods,” he handed her another couple slabs of fish which she put mechanically on the makeshift braisier.

“You’re a ray of sunshine,” Maia scoffed, “Don’t you have something you enjoy here?”

Alec said nothing, turning around to sort through the seaweed he’d collected.

“I’ve never seen this much _melancholia_ in a free person before,” Maia said, “But I’ll admit, you have a lot of _enkrateia_ if you’ve lived this long.”

“What about you?” Alec mumbled, “I got you out, I can’t take you back to your uncle. What are your plans when we reach Attica?”

Maia didn’t know the answer, as she’d never been out of her polis, and Alec didn’t know the answer because there wasn’t much for her to do without a family or a supporter. He could only hope they were walking towards some kind of peace.

As they laid down for the night in the brush, he folded himself under a small indentation in the terrain and tried to shut his eyes, but they wouldn’t shut with the tears. _Enkrateia_ , self-possessed, he thought bitterly back at Maia’s comment. He wasn’t, at any level, making positive choices for himself or others, he was rather performing à la akrasia, choosing what would get them out of immediate displeasure of further pain. The cool night spread its coarse wind over his back and shoulders, a coolness he felt he deserved. Alec pressed his fingers into the dirt, squelching them into the damp dirt under his cheek and mock prayed.

_Dear gods, I have watched children be devoured today by you. The beasts came for me in the dead of night to torture my spirit, and it worked to your advantage. You sent me false pleasure in the form of a godly being, and for a moment I felt possessed to trust the crumbs from your blood splattered hands. You sent Hermes to lie about my aid. May the spirits curse you and eat your unholy flesh._

He thought to himself, cataloguing his day in his mind to place it into perspective.

_Curse you to the depths of Tartarus._

Behind his eyelids he calmed himself by thinking of a pyrrhic dance, his mental eye focused on Magnus learning the steps with a faceless suitor.

 

ΔΔΔ

 

Alec woke up in the middle of the night to a colder breeze. He could feel the temperature had dropped extremely low. He noticed Maia painfully curled and shaking.

“Maia, wake up,” he said, kneeling beside her, “Please.”

She cracked her eyes open and nearly boxed him in the face had he not expected it.

“What?” she chattered, looking around and seeing nothing.

“The gods are trying to freeze us out,” Alec said, “We need to run. We need to start moving.”

“Does this happen often?” She asked, noticing she couldn’t feel her wrists or toes.

“More than you imagine,” he said, rubbing his hands on her upper arms to help her get a start in her morning. She huffed and nodded once.

They ran near the forest for a long time, jumping over rocks and branches like gazelles, praying not to be seen by morning fishermen. Crouching by a cave, Maia watched as Alec dug into the sand to find fresh water for their aching throats. Once they’d lapped up enough they kept running in their morning’s let’s-not-die exercise as the sun rose over the ocean.

They ate breakfast out of clams, slurping the mollusks and tried to make conversation by mid day. Alec noticed they both had scratched, bleeding legs down the knees due to running through the scrubland. By late afternoon they looked like they’d been flayed alive from the waist down and felt like it too.

“You’re not well liked by the gods, are you?” Maia said, “Have you ever tried appeasing them?” she said.

They ran in silence for a little longer before Alec answered, “At the beginning, I used to. I tried everything in the ways we were taught, but nothing I did seemed to please them. If anything, I was just annoying them with how pathetic I was scrabbling for scraps,” they’d slowed down, Maia eyeing him then off the cliffside near the ocean. He knew what was making her stop. They could hear the Spartan army marching on their morning run.

“What’s our plan for if they find us?” Maia said.

Alec looked at her tiredly, “We’re screwed if they find us. Especially on a cliff,” he could think of 300 reasons why being on a cliff against a Spartan phalanx was a bad idea.

“So, if their marching is getting louder that means—” Maia couldn’t help but smirk at Alec’s sudden line of swears. “Common, crow face, we’ve come this far.”

“If they see you, we’re screwed. They won’t recognize me,” Alec said.

“If you say so,” Maia said.

Maia tilted her head and Alec swore he saw her throat pulsate. Something wasn’t right. That wasn’t her Adam’s apple, those were her bones moving under her skin. Soon Maia started unclasping her jewelry, and then her chiffon, which she thrust in the stupefied hands of Alec who couldn’t get his words out. He couldn’t imagine why getting naked was going to be her disguise, but he hadn’t said anything because this was her land, and Maia of all people would know how Spartan women could blend in with each other. As far as he’d seen, Spartan women tended to wrestle and run naked just like the boys did. Maybe she was onto something. Then her bones began cracking and Alec’s mind blanked all over again. Sounds so graphic and horrifying resonated through the air, like bones under the teeth of a lion. But from Maia’s blazing, determined eyes, it wasn’t nearly painful enough to pull her down, instead she sneered until her canines grew in.

Her body cracked, rippled and contorted, skin ripping in a vicious human-to-wolf transformation. The moment she was on four legs she shook off the pain and motioned for him to run the way her muzzle pointing. Alec followed her down the hill, following her sense of smell.

“What,” Alec mumbled. He swore her responding growl was really laughter. “Do you even know where we’re going?” he said, but her responding yapping sounded like she was mockingly imitating him. Even mid run he was able to send her a deadpan stare.

Just then, the sound of the army came on stronger than ever, and Alec hit the ground like a fallen tree. Maia had disappeared, and all he could do was make himself small in the scratchy shrubs, breathing heavily with his hand on his heart. Leaning his head against a stone, Alec peaked through an olive branch to the army which marched two hundred paces away in full plated armor.

A piece of gold refracted the low sun. One of Maia’s necklaces got caught on the branch of a blooming myrtle tree. He hoped they wouldn’t notice it but of course they did. The leader of the phalanx pulled it off the branch in one harsh yank. 

In that moment, Alec started to feel his chest burning, like someone had lit a candle right under his collar bone. Burning wasn’t the right word as the heat seeped through his skin, but it described the initial feeling of the unexpected warmth, similar to human touch when someone took another by surprise. Alec shifted his hand ever so quietly to the jewel on his chest, but it wasn’t the right one. Magnus had added a piece of amethyst which Alec hadn’t noticed in all the gold cording Magnus had placed Isabelle’s gem in. Alec didn’t only feel the jewel, he could see its magic rising in a ball of light up to his nose. He tried clasping his hands around it to hide it from the soldier but it wasn’t making sense, the light simply responded by shining through his hands.

The light touched his nose like a small kiss, before it started floating away. Alec looked back at the soldiers but they didn’t seem to see it. To stay safe, Alec buried his head down into the grasses again, and with his chin just brushing the ground as he crawled on his stomach towards the light. Alec didn’t know how long he crawled, but the sun had long set by the time he the light stopped near a deep-set riverbed which flowed towards the ocean. Alec collapsed in its quagmire, feeling the soft, cold mud soothe the millions of scratches on his legs and he sighed at the small bliss. He shut his eyes for a moment, only listening to the world around him, other than the gurgling river, only the crickets and wind rippling across the landscape made a sound.

Alec felt a warmth on his face, at first it felt it like his jewel which was slowly cooling, but it started to take physical shape. Alec cracked open his eyes only to gaze the gorgeous eyes of a cat set in the face of a god.

Magnus didn’t say anything, instead  examined Alec’s face he tenderly, with his fingertips pressing for injury with heartbreaking care. Magnus leaned in and pulled Alec to him and buried his face in Alec’s neck, drawing circles on Alec’s back with the pad of his fingers. Alec let himself be held, feeling the wounds on his body slowly pulling together under the cleansing presence of his patron god.

Just when Alec reached up to respond to the caress, Magnus disappeared from his lap, leaving him cold, wet and in the dark. The momentary warmth and love gone in an instant.

Alec found out why a second later when the padded feet of the princess approached with a low whine.

“Maia?” Alec asked, peeking his head up from the gorge.

She approached him with her deep, thoughtful eyes. Her ear was nicked, like something had pierced through it and Alec reached into the water, cupping water to help her with her injury. Leave it to a Spartan to nearly catch a werewolf in full rage. Her wound thoroughly cleaned, Alec looked for something to wrap it in but Maia shook her head, lowering her muzzle into the dirt in fatigue.

She leaned against his shoulder and they fell asleep using each other as pillows. Sleep never came to Alec as easily as he would like. Instead he spent a while counting the stars overhead with his hand on the protective stones on his chest. He was reminded of Isabelle who he forced to escape the Greek lands for somewhere far away. He was reminded of her because she was the last bit of human warmth he felt he could trust, which he felt worthy of. With Isabelle he’d brought her up with their parents and guarded her the way big brothers did. No one on earth, other than perhaps Jace, could possibly say they were raised and cared for by Alec. Everyone else was only momentarily conscious of his existence before their lives went on, pushing through a never yielding path of difficulties. Not to mention everyone and everything Alec had killed to stay alive. His path felt more like clasping for rope in a mass grave of corpses, some he could save but most he would saw die. That morbid bitterness ever tied with his need to live otherwise the gods would win. He would have lived in vain.

Fate just gave him another two people he slowly felt himself drawn to—who was he kidding? They had crept into his heart in less then a day, giving and taking in equal measure. Maia was funny, strong, and her spirit blazed where’s his was a damp, dying flame. She was ready to take on the world and beyond with the vigour of Icarus--only she also she proved to be intelligent and sensible. For the first time in a long while, he was excited to travel, not only to get out of the way of his latest disaster but because he wanted to set her up for another life of success. She’d been betrayed by a parental figure and worked her whole life to get to that betrayal, Alec could sympathize.

Then there was Magnus, who felt and spoke like no one Alec had ever known. He was probably the purest being Alec had ever met, his eyes held no evil or hubris. He was just soft and healing, a salve to smooth over the bleeding and helpless. In some ways Alec felt flexible to accept Magnus, knowing he couldn’t harm him, but on the other hand, more frightened parts of him was grieving Magnus’ disappearance. That Magnus was looking to cling to a mortal momentarily and was sure to leave, or worse he was working for the Greek gods to seduce and destroy Alec by feigning perfection. Alec’s eyes fluttered, thinking of the best way to wrench his heart out of the way of trusting Magnus. Symbiosis between gods and men had always been disjointed to Alec, but Magnus felt well scripted, like the muses wrote him into a captivating _Dionysia_. The problem was, Alec didn't know if this man (who was feeling more important by the minute) was leading a tragedy or a comedy. Though the genre didn't matter to Alec if he was assumed to be the villain.

Thinking of it as a play was easier than imagining it as corrosive reality.

Underneath his head, he could feel Maia’s wolf form twitching in her sleep. She let out a small wolf call. Alec got up onto his elbows and tried rubbing her back in case she was having a nightmare. She calmed at long last into a tepid sleep.

Magnus had known where Maia would be, he knew how to get her out of the tower. This could have been an elaborate ruse to have Alec bring Magnus the princess, to help her find the cure to her curse. It made more sense that Magnus would be rewarded by taking the princess’s hand in marriage then for his intentions to have anything to do with Alec. Gods loved royal blood.

Alec contemplated this, more awake now. If he could get what Magnus wanted, he could continue profiting from Magnus’ healing. It was a win-win situation.

This meant he would need to redouble his efforts in finding a cure to Maia’s curse, all while protecting her from the evils of society and the supernatural.

Now that Alec thought about it, there had been much less godly attacks since he’d retrieved Maia. He could hide behind the god’s love for her to protect himself, so long as only a few gods payed attention to the benefits Alec gains from protecting her.

Alec tried not dwelling on how this benefited him in protecting his heart from the likes of a god’s kindness.

 

ΔΔΔ

  


The next morning, they had run the rest of the way to Attica, and among the drying clothes of a farmer, Alec snatched a chiffon for Maia to wear which she accepted with the graciousness of a werewolf, that is to say roughly and without patience between long teeth.

She went off to turn back into a maiden, now dressed in a soft orange chiffon which she had wrapped artfully across her body.

Alec sat on a rock as she cleaned her face in the stream nearby. He’d washed off the dirt from his body but only superficially, not wanting to dip into the river.

“Have you been praying to the gods?” Alec asked.

Maia looked up to the sky and then smiled at him with her pretty, secretive smile.

“I’ll take that as a yes?”

She affirmed this, “I sacrificed a few bits of food to them and did my prayers.”

“They like it,” Alec said, “You haven’t been attacked.”

She noticed something in his jaded look because she said, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he said, “I think you’ve managed to impress one of the gods. He visited me last night.”

“Which one?” Maia asked.

“I… I don’t know who he is, he’s just been helping us on our journey. He told me how to get to you, and he lead me to safety yesterday for you to find. It’s just, someone’s looking out for you, and I thought you should know,” he rubbed his hands together, shoulders hunched over the river.

“How did he speak to you?” Maia asked.

“He came to me as a guiding light, but before that he was in human form at the wedding.”

Maia’s jaw clenched, sudden fury in her eyes, “Was it Zeus?”

“What? No,” Alec said, “He calls himself Magnus, he claims to be the son of a cave demon,” he watched Maia’s calculated look as she shifted her eyes to the sky again.

“Zeus was raised in a cave,” she said softly.

“Zeus works mysteriously,” Alec said, “But if it was Zeus and he wanted you, he’d already have slept with you by now. Same with Apollo, Ares. Maybe it’s Dionysus? Still… Magnus said he’s not from the Pantheon but that could be convenient wording.”

Maia was looking at Alec strangely, “You’re so quiet you forgot to mention we’re being personally followed and driven by a god?”

Alec shrugged, unable to fully explain it due to his own barriers, “I wanted to make sure there’s more proof before I told you and we came to the wrong conclusion. I’m not taking it lightly.”

Maia splashed him with droplets of water, hitting him in on his surprised expression “You’re pretty honourable, you know that?” Maia said, “I lived with purely military people and you’re a more focused person than most of them.”

“You were pretty smart to turn into a wolf to avoid recognition. Just a little warning next time. I thought you were being possessed,” he said with a tight, sarcastic smile.

“I’m smart in general,” Maia said, wiping her face dry.

“I know,” Alec said.

For someone who was a royal, she constantly craved affirmation. He could tell it was a mix between certainty and the fragility of someone who felt they were always under attack. Alec received it like a test on his ability to uplift her spirit. It wasn’t going to be enough to just help her survive out here if she was going to start doubting herself.

“I’ve never seen a god before, you should ask him to meet me next time he visits. That way I can help pinpoint his identity,” Maia said, getting to her feet.

Alec nodded, although a part of him didn’t want to do so. He wanted to keep Magnus for himself. Yet that was silly, being possessive of something he didn’t even trust.

“Okay,” Alec said, “Are we good? I know a place in Athens that might take you.”

Maia huffed, “Might?”

“My brother resides there as a priest of Apollo. If we can get to him in Athens, he might be able to arrange a pious life for you.”

Maia shrugged, “I’ll take anything, as long as I can still walk around as I please when the day is done.”


	3. Blood Guilt

 

It was dark by the time they arrived at the outskirts of Athens, marked by the city wall. Alec could feel eyes looking at them from the forests, probably monsters making sure he didn’t stray from the path the gods wanted him to take.

Torches lit the familiar outer city, air filled with the cries of babies from the dumps. Worked hard to ignore those sounds and Alec searched around for familiarity, recognizing a particular funerary monument next to a water outpost. It was too dark to fetch water, and so the usual gossip place for women and slaves lacked its usual bustling.

“He lives near the agora,” Alec said, “We need to get there before his family goes to sleep or else we’ll be in the streets until morning,” he said.

Once they neared Jace’s home, they could hear boisterous laughter over reedy music. “He’s having a party,” Alec said lowly, marching to the doorstep where he knocked the fence open, taking in the courtyard lit by oil lamps. A man pushed passed Alec to get into the party, so Alec followed in his stead. “Maia, stay by me,” he said, placing a barely touching hand on the small of her back to lead her to the Andron.

At the door, a slave stopped him, “This is an Andron, women aren’t allowed in the Symposia,” he said.

Alec set his jaw, contemplating his options. “Take her to the gynaikon. I will have someone retrieve her when the symposium is over,” he said. It was a good opportunity for Maia to connect with Jace’s wife and maybe even form ties strong enough to start her life in Athens. If the only place Maia could go were the women’s quarters, they’d take it.

Alec met Maia’s eyes, noticing her glare towards the beastly loud men. He leant down to whisper in her ear, “If you can find out what you can about the situation in Athens, I’ll do the same with Jace. Remember, we’re here to find you a job,” he said.

Maia nodded as a servant came out escort her across the bright tiles towards the back of the house towards the locked gynaikon. Alec trusted it was well barricaded to fend off drunken men.

Alec lumbered into the Andron there after, taking note of how different Jace’s house looked from when he was small. No longer were the strange winged figures his father kept all over the walls with their judgmental eyes and burning lyres. The angels had been painted over with rich red and white plaster. A band of aulos players fluted away while courtesans sat in various laps, chatting up the guests.

“Look at that awkward ape,” one of the men said, “Are you just going to stand there?”

Alec focused on the speaker who wore a rich tunic and a cape. He was well off, probably a city official but it had been so long since Alec kept track to who held high positions in Athens. Most of those men likely passed away with age since Alec saw them. He had brittle memories of being introduced to ancient men by his parents back when he would hide behind his mother’s skirts.

A hand reached out and took Alec’s shoulder.  Alec forced himself to calm his own breathing as not to lash out at the person who grabbed him and do something he would regret.

“I don’t recognize you. Did I invite you?” It was a lower version of Jace’s voice, causing Alec to relax his shoulders and turn around.  There was no mistaking those blue-brown eyes under a thick bush of eyebrows.

“It’s me Alec,” Alec said mutely, keeping his head low, “Jace, I needed to find you.

Jace lowered his hand to Alec’s shoulder, grasping his bicep and shifting his pursed lips to a wide, genuine smile.

“No worries gentlemen it’s my brother!” Jace announced to them, earning a cacophonous whooping. Alec turtled into himself, staying wary of the inexplicable gathering and following Jace to his couch.

“How have you been, Alec?” Jace asked, taking a glass of watered down wine and handing a cup to Alec which he received shakily.

 _Escaping, in a constant nightmare, surviving off the skin of my teeth?_ Alec thought, but said, “The usual,” Since it was the furthest from, “And you?”

Jace laughed, “You missed my wedding by two years,” he said.

Alec paused before looking at Jace sheepishly, “I’m sorry. Honestly,” he swallowed, “Who is she?”

“Her name is Kaelie. We have two sons,” Jace said,” She’s got this way about her. She runs the house like she was raised in it,” Jace said, “I’ve never seen anyone so organized and demanding around the house. Maryse would have loved her.”

It felt strange hearing his mother’s name in a conversation. It had been so long since he’d spoken to someone who knew him from his past life that a dull ringing whistled in his ears and weighted his tongue.

“And her body is something else,” Jace said, “These women,” he motioned to the courtesans, “Don’t even compare.”

A man next to them joined into the conversation, talking animatedly about his wife’s body, making lewd gestures as he did. Alec stood very still, looking over them and tuning them out. It was going to be a long night if he had to discuss sex in between making connections.

“The music is ... nice,” Alec said instead when someone finished describing something Alec was comfortably deaf to. The already giggly crowd laughed.

“What, you don’t want to hear about my wife’s—”

“Not really,” Alec said, looking up at cracks in the paint across the room while they kept rambling on. Most of them were drunk senseless on the watered down wine. Although Alec hadn’t touched his so he only assumed it was watered down since it was custom even for guests. When it touched his lips he grimaced into the cup, the smell was putrid and much stronger than he expected from Jace.

Their joyous uproar soon turned into games, and Alec found himself molding himself back into who he’d been back in the era before the curse when he was a big brother of three. He stayed sober, assuring nobody hurt themselves or other people, guarding them like they were daredevil children in his distant but dependable way.

“I’m sure you’re good at gymnastics, but not in here,” Alec had to tell a man named Zethus, pushing him back into his couch to make sure he didn’t show off how he could balance himself on the corner of it like he would off the horns of a charging bull.

At deep nightfall, Alec knew this was not the right time for his intent. They were far too drunk and numerous for him to have a meaningful conversation with Jace. He would have to wait it out.

When most of the men were either gone or dead drunk from their late drinking games, a distasteful state to have to deal with, Alec helped the slaves clean the vomit of Jace’s friends off the tiles, too wired to fall asleep, too paranoid at the possibility being ambushed by godly beast or murderous bolt. Alec rubbed at his forehead, trying not to think about why he wasn’t supposed to be in Athens to begin with. If he was wrong that protecting Maia was protecting him he could wake up in a burning house. With the amount of alcohol all these men drank, they would surely burn the moment fire touched their breath.

At last, Alec went to Jace and turned him onto his side on the couch. His disgruntled brother snorted in his sleep when his servants carried him up to his bed. Eventually they lead Alec to a guest room, letting him sleep on decorated cot. It wasn’t a comfort he was used to, however, he stayed awake for the better part of the dawn’s early light in a state of hazed distress. Alec felt ever hunted. He could hear movement in the house on all floors, and even the sound of distant water which he usually found calming brought him horrible half-awake nightmares about being smothered in a snake pit.

At some point he felt the jewel on his chest heat up, like the sun in a field of apricots casting through untouched groves. Alec wished he’d been born an apricot, blooming then rotting and giving back to the earth if he didn’t feed the birds first. It wasn’t a great existence, but it seemed more peaceful than now.

The warmth on his chest calmed him down. The feeling resembled his childhood when his mom would sing to him and stroke his hair until he fell asleep. Barely realizing he’d left Maia alone, Alec let Morpheus take him, obeying rest.

 

ΔΔΔ

 

He awoke to cacophony downstairs and the smell of food being cooked on a brazier. Cracking his eyes open, he felt a thought pounding at the back of his memory, his mind trying to call up something to be stressed about. It was Maia. He’d left her downstairs in the gynaikon and never went back to get her.  

He wrenched himself from the bed, grabbing for clothes and rushing out the moment he donned them.

“Maia! Maia,” he began only to be stopped by Jace who’d stepped out of where he assumed was the bathroom.

“I need to find the person I came with,” Alec said, “She was in the gynaikon but I can’t enter,” he said hurriedly. “Please, Jace. I need to see her.”

Jace was much less winded, he looked mildly amused to see Alec running around, turning around he called into the kitchen, “Kaelie, is the girl still with you?”

Maia walked out of the kitchen with two small children hanging off her muscular arms. She tilted her head to Alec. “Were you actually worried I would get hurt here? In a family home?”

Alec saw Kaelie leave the same kitchen door. She was a petite brunette with an impish face. In fact, she looked strangely familiar.

It took a bit of time for Alec to realize: She was the brunette version of Isabelle’s servant, Clary. She had that face and frame. Her lips were fuller and she had less innocent eyes, deeper brown and more concrete but was uncanny. Isabelle had taken Clary with her when she’d fled out of Athens. Jace had just married someone who looked like Clary, the girl he used fall over his own feet for.

Alec clamped his jaw since he felt it loosen at the strange, uncomfortable sight. “This is Kaelie,” he said slowly, from her intricate spiralled curls in perfect rows and clothes Alec knew she wasn’t a servant. Her hair had been done by someone else. He knew from experience how difficult it was to get Isabelle to look like the other Athenian girls.

Kaelie gave him a secretive smile, her brown eyes not in the least bit timid, they were satisfied, stable. She was in a home she knew she was in charge of, with a high sense of power and privilege. Alec didn’t know who she was before she married to Jace, but he wondered what family she came from. What family Jace asked to give him a wife.

“Alec, you didn’t tell me you had a wife,” Jace said, pulling Alec from his thoughts.

“No,” Alec said, shaking his head mutely, “Not a wife nor a servant. I’m traveling with her. She’s looking to become a priestess here in Athens.

“Does she have a husband, a father?” Jace asked, wondering who owned her, “Where were you planning to go?”

“We haven’t figured it out yet,” Maia said loudly and cheerfully, lifting one of the children into her arms. “We just got here. He was hoping you could tell us what we could do.”

Jace looked confused. It was like he didn’t expect her to speak, and when she did, she had a thick accent, Greek but not Athenian.

“Where are you from?” Jace said.

“She’s Spartan, Jace,” Alec said.

Jace stepped back, “That doesn’t make sense, Spartans don’t just move here. That’s not how they work, Alec. She needs to get a specific citizenship.”

“Food is ready,” Kaelie said, stepping past her children to let the servants by. “You men should talk it out,” she said, taking her portion of the food to the women’s quarters, motioning for Maia to follow.

Alec took his portion of food, stopping by the hearth in the center of the home and scraping pieces into open flames, praying for Maia’s safety. His amulet warmed on his chest in response. It was difficult, being touched by this warmth and not to think of Magnus’ face in his neck, his body warming and healing from a horrendous journey. Alec remembered the nuzzling, even the hint of lips brushing his collarbone. It made him warm, the lust and care shivering over him.

These were not thoughts he should be having, especially since his priority was Maia.

He moved away from the fire, his skin cooling, lips parting. He hadn’t realized he’d been kneeling so close to the heat, his sweat cooling with the rest of the room. Blood pounded in his ears as he looked up at the sky through the parted roof. Cloudless.

“Alec?” Jace said, “I’ll be in the andron.”

They ate fast without saying much, a mix of lentils bathed in olive oil and barely beans. Alec just swallowed his food down not even stopping to properly chew or taste anything. Alec barely tasted anything he ate. Jace wanted to take him for a walk when they were done.

When they were done with dinner they placed the bowls on the floor, know that a slave would come and pick it up.

As they stepped out Alec feels the sun warm his shoulders. Dust flew up, tossed into the pristine air by kicking leather sandals and hooves around them. In the soupy heat, goats and various animals complained to each other but Alec payed them no mind. He walked hunched shoulders next to the brother he thought he would never see again.

“You know, you never told me,” Jace said, “You never said why you left.”

Alec shut his eyes, steadying his heart rate and not interrupting Jace.

“And don’t give me that ‘I can’t tell you’ bullshit,” Jace said, “Because I don’t believe it. I know you made Izzy leave with Clary. Your house is no longer there. It’s just land owned by a couple we’ve never heard of. I visited there every day for a year and no one ever came home,” Jace said.

Walking with Jace, made Alec forget to pay attention to everyone around him. He didn’t look over his shoulder every second to avoid being stabbed, he didn’t even hear the low growling coming from behind a colonnade.

“I buried them,” Alec said, earning an incredulous look from Jace. “Mom, dad, Max. They were poisoned. Someone had it out for them,” he said eventually, pressing his lips together.  

“And you’ve been running from this assassin?” Jace said.

Alec said nothing.

“Who did this?” Jace said, “We can fight them together!”

“No, Jace,” Alec said harshly, turning to him, “You’re the only one who’s completely safe from their wrath. If I turn you against them, you’ll lose Kaelie, your children, your home.”

Jace smiled sardonically, “You’re underestimating me. I could kill them. I could even hire assassins. I have money, Alec.”

Alec shook his head, “That’s just it. You can’t. They can’t be killed.”

Jace’s smile fell a couple molars, “Are you seeing things?”

“Do you believe in the gods you worship?” Alec said.

“Of course,” Jace said, “but they’re distant. It’s not like they just walk into town. They have their place. It definitely isn’t here,” Jace said, motioning around himself.

Alec looked off at the stoas, watching merchants peddle at the agora. Someone was on criminal trial and men were yelling out how they wanted him punished. Alec looked back at Jace.

“I’ve been running from them,” Alec lowered his voice for Jace to hear, “They want vengeance on the eldest son. You know how Mom and Dad didn’t worship the gods, how they had their own beliefs?”

“Yeah,” Jace said, “So what, they died because someone thought they were under the wrong faith?”

“Yes,” Alec said, “Except their gods are from a different land and couldn’t protect them. Their souls are tied to that land.”

“You aren’t making any sense, Alec,” Jace said.

“The gods were threatening Mom and Dad, so they killed Max and then themselves o they could escape their tyranny,” Alec mumbled while fidgeting with his hands, “I’ve been running from the gods ever since.”

Jace looked like he was between laughing and getting away from whatever pestilence of the mind which afflicted his brother. “You think you’re being chased by the gods?” Jace said, “Alec, they’re myths, they’re unreachable. That’s what makes them so compelling. Are you telling me you missed my wedding because you thought you were being chased by myths?”

Alec stopped walking. “You think I’m a lunatic,” Alec forced out. “You think I am lying? Sick in the mind?” He felt frantic now, voice cracking. “Jace, they are no more a myth than you or I.”

Alec could feel himself shaking. He locked eyes with a stranger smiling at him across the street and he recognized the way their eyes shone, momentarily, inhumanly.

“Of course,” Alec said as realization struck him. He laughed to himself, “That’s what they want,” he knew he looked even more insane, laughing and covering his face like he couldn’t stand the light. “They don’t want you to know. That’s fine, they’re right. You shouldn’t,” he said.

“You _have_ lost it. Alec, what happened while you were gone?” Jace said, “If you’re sick, you should have told me,” he shook it off as it started to make sense to him, “Their death, it’s gotten to you. You’re not okay, you’re suffering from black bile, the melancholia—Let’s get you somewhere wet and warm.”

 _No, I am legitimately being chased by the gods on most days_ , Alec thought, but decided to humor him.

“Wait, I remember hearing about this kind of madness,” Jace began, “This is the kind of miasma I was warned about. In Athens, they talk about you, how you killed them and went mad because of it. This is just … proof,” Jace said, moving in on Alec. “You killed them, didn’t you?”

“No,” Alec said for what felt like the fortieth time that day. He felt himself stepping back on the uneven bricks. “I would never do that, Jace.”

But Jace was moving forward, looking at him like a wild animal, ready to kill the only thing that could save him from starvation.

It had been years, although it felt like decades, of course Jace wouldn’t trust him anymore. Being away had only poisoned whatever friendship they had until it was left in a pit of rot and dung to die like every other relationship Alec had.

Alec kept backing away. They were under the critical eyes of the citizens surrounding them.

“You killed them, didn’t you!?” Jace bellowed at Alec, the veins in his neck popping, “You buried them before anyone else could see!”

“No—”

“You’re sick, you’ve got furies at your back waiting to tear you apart for blood guilt!”

Alec shook his head, readying himself for the inevitable attack and it came in rushing punches to his gut, his shoulders, his legs. Jace wasn’t going for his head or his groin, only trying to hurt him everywhere else. Already sick with a different kind of guilt, failing to uphold their friendship. Alec let Jace punch him. This Jace wasn’t as strong as the enemies he was used to. He hadn’t been on the run for almost a decade. He hadn’t literally fought lions and boars with his bare hands. He hadn’t lived where the gods made Alec godless. Tournaments shaped Jace, a professional in all types of fights but not a survivor of claws, teeth and gods. Alec let himself receive half the beating and dodged the rest of the abuse, hoping Jace would tire himself out.

Jace lived comfortably, he was married with children, he partied, he had time to think this through, if only he would stop and _think_. But this Jace didn’t know Alec anymore.

“You’re a coward for killing them because you thought the gods were after them!” Jace roared, “Did you do this to Isabelle too? Clary?”

Alec felt like his face was split open, a place Jace previously refused to strike, and Alec hadn’t expected to receive.

Alec felt his teeth loosen, blood on his tongue, blood spurting from his nose. His face would heal violet and yellow. Momentarily blind with tears from getting his nose broken, he reached out and caught Jace’s next punch through pure instinct, using the momentum to bend Jace’s arm back behind him, immobilizing him with his weight and body. Alec had fought at night just as much as the day, being attacked when he couldn’t see was something he’d grown used to. His now disoriented sight only spurred Alec to act.  

Alec blinked hard to getting his sight back from the tears from his broken nose. Through his distorted sight, he peered at Jace where he had him pinned.  

“You don’t need blood guilt. You’re going to become what you think I am: Someone who murders their own family,” Alec said through wet eyelashes and blood. He could feel the liquids spilling over his busted lip which hung open from inflammation. “They wanted you to do this,” Alec said, getting up and letting Jace go, who hadn’t sustained a single injury from the fight except aching ribs and a twisted arm.

Alec wiped his nose with the back of his hand, looking at Jace who was breathing heavily on the pavement, body hunched over the bricks, spasming.

A low noise made the stoas tremble. That man Alec saw earlier with the flashing eyes wasn’t anywhere to be seen.

Alec felt the hairs on the back of his neck shoot up, Isabelle’s jewel pulsating. Alec counted the pulses, narrowing on the direction the jewel was indicating to him. Realizing Jace was about to be shredded, Alec tackled Jace out of way, avoiding having mince meat for a brother.  Screaming sounded started. The crowd a chorus of horror.

Alec felt like he’d fallen off several cliffs one after the other, wet eyes worsening his sense of spatial orientation. Still, he turned and faced what came to kill them, gaze low and murderous.


	4. The Glories of Archery

 

Coarse fur wrapped around the muscles of an apex predator, its claws carved the stone beneath it with pocks and slices. When the lionesque creature bared its bad breath to the world, Alec noted its boar tusks. They were surely only there to taunt him with wretched images of Helots eaten by boars. Flashes of blaring children reaching for their weeping mothers tore at Alec’s heartstrings. Fighting boar tusks was a matter of muscle memory.

Ale wished he could summon a bow and arrow at will. It would make the quickest work.  One shot through a glowing yellow eye. An eye so similar to Magnus’ the night he healed Alec. When it bared its teeth, the memory of Magnus’ eyes was swept away and in its wake Alec’s pulse thundered with adrenaline. The tusks and eyes were distractions to torture him into losing his mind, but he was so far beyond this cheap shot at mental torture. Emotions were nothing but a distraction.  

“This is real, Alec, isn’t it?” Jace said. “You weren’t lying.”

“Jace,” Alec grunted, “Get off the ground.”

A life of luxury may have describe Jace’s life then, but it did not account for the times Jace hid from his father. He was used to being hunted. All those nights breaking curfew to avoid his father’s next mind game. Jace would have made a better trained killer than Alec, only he settled down and Alec couldn’t. Alec wouldn’t have it any other way, though, Jace deserved freedom.

“You remember how to jump a bull?” Alec asked while steadying himself. He could practically hear Jace smirk in response. Maryse and Robert hadn’t been the safest parents, in fact they loved to fill their sons’ schedules with bull leaping and wrestling.

The lion roared and jumped close to a group of spectators. It didn’t attack anyone but it scattered the masses away.

An instant later, Jace took hold of the tusks of the raging boar-lion, narrowly avoided the claws and flipped over the monster in a gymnastic performance. Alec swore the crowd would have clapped if this was happening in a stadium. This same stunt used to earn Jace the kisses of giggly Athenian teens who thought he was _so hot and so talented_. If someone told teen Alec that bull-leaping would help Jace in life, he wouldn’t have believed them, yet here they were, Jace backflipping over a lion.

The monster bucked too late to spear Jace. Alec took advantage of the creature’s confusion. With a normal animal there would be ways to ward it off or befriend it. Though not when it comes to an assassin handcrafted by the gods.

Alec kicked dirt into its eyes, blinding it long time so that he could get his arms around the lion to put it in a headlock. The lion’s roar made Alec’s ears pop. to throw himself around it and get the lion in a vice like grip. The lion roared at a frequency which popped Alec’s ears. his head in even more pain, but he continued to hold on, his arms wrapped around its throat, feeling like his veins were popping out of his arms as he began choking the lion into submission. He heard the collar bone snap, the chilling sound of bones breaking something Alec never allowed himself to get used to. He held on as it thrashed about and tried to claw at him. The lion rolled its horrendous weight onto Alec, attempting to squash him into the cobblestone. Alec kept his head tucked in, refusing to get a concussion against the stone road, the weight of the lion knocking his breath away when he moved to avoid its body. With only a bit of his ribs crushing under the enormous weight, Alec readjusted his grip and kept choking the lion-boar.    

What Alec needed was a stick or a sword but all he had was his arms around its throat and a constant, pressing strength. Alec kept his tongue away from his teeth to avoid biting it off when the lion struggled one last time.

An assortment of voice filtered through his tired mind, one sounding like Jace’s who was talking about a butcher. Alec had no idea how that had any connection to choking a monster to death. The only thing that awoke him from his haze was the soul freezing growls of a wolf, earning another onslaught of alarm from the mayfly like crowd. They gave the wolf a wide berth as it lunged from the steps where the lion laid and proceeded to pull the unconscious animal away from Alec.

It was Maia. With the lion under her paws she ripped its flesh like it wasn’t an apex predator, rather a vulture laden gazelle. 

Her teeth disemboweled the beast so close to Alec that he felt flecks of blood speckle his face. His arms raw like they were a living bruise.

Maia took a ligament with her when she backed away. Another unexpected person joined them. Kaelie, in all her billowing garb treaded by with her servants. With a small butcher’s knife, bowed over the lion sliced away boar tusks and wrapped them in a linen for safekeeping.

Alec pushed past his body’s screams to stop and lie down and pulled himself onto his feet with the help of a nearby column. A vendor who’d witnessed the fight came by and offered Alec a pitcher of water which he downed gratefully.

He’d spent weeks in the wilderness with no one to speak to, sometimes months. With so few interactions Alec sometimes forgot people were speaking a language he could understand. They weren’t chatting warnings like birds or cawing at prey. Even more, he wasn’t used to speaking, since he did it so little when he was on his own. Living in silence meant he knew when threats were coming. The silence gave him a certain clarity, a special emptiness. Cities, comparatively, were not so instinctive. People expected him to listen to their opinions, to indulge their philosophies or buy their wares. He felt disoriented by all the Athenians speaking at once to each other, to him, he could no longer tell. Alec let himself blank out. He craved the familiar.

Words echoed in his ear, so clear they may have been imagined, “The Spartan army is coming.” That got him paying attention. Alec gave himself whiplash looking for the person who spoke to him but most people around him were talking to each other or standing in shock. No one was close enough to whisper in his ear.

“Jace,” Alec said, reaching his brother in too strides, “Did you hear that too?”

Jace frowned and shook his head, “I was talking to Kaelie,” he said.

A swear passed Alec’s lips.

“Alec,” Jace said, reaching out to rest his hand on Alec’s shoulder, “About that lion, I need to--”

But Alec dodged his hand, feeling Isabelle’s jewel pulse disorientingly in all directions. Like a caged animal, Alec’s eyes rolled in their sockets, fear blazing until he felt cold wash over his entire body, a coating of sweat. Maia had just moved away from the lion and was under the scrutiny of the gathered Athenians. They didn’t know she was human underneath, only that there was an enormous wolf in their midst, hackles risen and muzzle covered in lion’s blood. She noticed their attention and against her better judgement snarled at them, head lowered between pointed shoulders.

In the crowd, Alec saw Magnus among the mortals, standing in a silk cloak which barely hid his glory and identity. He met his eyes amongst the buzzing mayfly like crowd and saw Magnus’ warm expression. Alec didn’t know what he was trying to communicate to him, but looking at Maia and then the crowd again, he saw an Athenian had retrieved their crossbow in all the chaos and narrowed it on the beast, then at Maia.

Alec made a split second decision.

Magnus could find another hero to take away Maia’s curse, but after all Magnus had done for him, Magnus deserved a chance with Maia.

Alec used the stairs to propel himself over Maia, going against all his better judgement he threw caution to wind, Isabelle’s jewel rattling as if possessed. As he landed in front of her, feeling the bolt pass clean through the center of his chest like an electric shock. He’d wanted to shoulder it, maybe put his hand in the way, but he hadn’t been quick enough.

He felt hands on him, a hand he recognized in his periphery. Jace.

Alec was lowered, his body collapsing as he felt his eyes crowd with tears again. His breathing came in panic, heart suffering at being sliced. He lent his head to the side to look at Maia whose round wolf eyes met his with the fear he felt. He swore he heard her whimper.

His mouth slackened, still injured from Jace. His ribs hurt from being broken under the lion’s weight. His whole body was used as a constant pin board, and it made sense that it would finally give out from it.

Jace lowered him to the ground, resting his shoulders on the lion’s still warm body, a makeshift bed of coarse fur and entrails. He was saying something but Alec had stopped listening, mouth slack and eyes watering profusely, the tears wetting the lion’s fur and pouring down his own neck.

He felt his head being tilted up to the sky, Magnus’ angry face bent over him, eyes flashing. He was difficult to look at in the sun, the gleaming jewels burning Alec’s vision. Magnus, in his turmoil was having difficulty keeping his mortal shape, either that or he was shaking like a leaf. Alec didn’t understand but he didn’t feel he had to anymore, he just needed to focus on fading. His hands were metaphorically tied.

As he faded, he internally laughed at the irony of a trained archer losing to an arrow.  


	5. The Stars are Numb

This was supposed to have be fun, Magnus thought miserably. Falling for a handsome hero who couldn’t be touched by any human or divine force. For the time he’d seen Alec, he’d felt an irrational pull to crown him, to smother him with glory. When he’d found out about the Greek gods plan for Alec, he’d been all supportive of the path they were ultimately leading him to. Although he had undermined their power somewhat to make Alec’s trials less arduous, he’d done such minuscule changes in Alec’s fate he didn’t think there was any harm.

Alec had something of an untouchable presence, cool headed and quiet. His patience and skill were unparalleled. He possessed the majesty of a wild animal, so calm amongst dangerous settings, bringing beauty to the seemingly impossible.

And a beauty he was for the time Magnus saw him, except now. Alec suffering under the bolt of an arrow was not beautiful, it was ghastly and not supposed to happen. Magnus had witnessed him fight his brother and fight a lion, looking wholly unaffected in the aftermath, gulping down water like an athlete rather than a soldier. But the moment he met Magnus’ eyes, Magnus saw strikes of fear screaming at him. He’d tried to reassure Alec, unsure of what made Alec so afraid--The Spartan army was coming, of course--but it was all part of the gods’ greater plan. Magnus tried to soothe the worry, ready to approach Alec and lead him to his ultimate fate in a kingly fashion, only to have Alec take an arrow for Maia.

Alec had never used himself as a meat shield before. He was much more practical than that. He protected himself and others sensibly. Certainly, he’d been hurt before, but he never sacrificed his own life over others. He always found ways to keep both at once on equal footing. He refused to lend himself to an unequal fate.

Leaning over Alec, pulsing healing magic into his suffering chest, Magnus tensed at the smell of Alec’s near death experience. He’d been inches from an unsalvageable fate and it was his fault.

Alec had looked him right in the eye and jumped in front of an arrow to die.

He’d done it for Maia, of course, but he barely knew her. He could have moved her out of the way. He wasn’t thinking.

Unless he was.

Close to Alec like this, protecting his essence, Magnus could feel the frequencies of his emotional health, feeling vibrations of a tortured soul. He could feel depression under his hands, and not only the depression in his chest. Magnus ripped the arrow from Alec’s chest, working quickly to literally mend his heart. Alec’s heart pumped weakly, making its double pulsation more obvious as it slowed. The blood on Magnus’ fingers felt like milk spilled in the afternoon sun, putrid and not meant to be splashed on the pavement so carelessly. A perishable liquid in a place it didn't belong.

Maia whimpered near him, watching the procedure from afar and skirting away when Magnus threw the arrow off to the side, nearly hitting her with it. He almost apologized but he was in a foul godly mood.  

He ran his bejeweled fingers on Alec’s chest when he was done, holding up the central jewel which he’d given him. He’d given it to support Alec, but he wondered if it ever brought him comfort. He hadn’t realized how lonely Alec had been, and it made him see the situation in a new light. When Alec had prayed to him, had fallen asleep that morning with the warmth Magnus sent him, when Alec reached out to hold him all that time ago.

Magnus realized Alec trusted him and it sickened him to think something so minor as speaking to him made him kindly made him soften.

Magnus looked up at Jace, the brother who had survived the family massacre. Magnus said nothing to him, only gazed at him. Under Magnus’ hand he felt Alec’s heartbeat regulate. He hadn’t yet woken up on his bed of mutilated lion carcass.

“Who are you?” Jace said. “Are you Lord Apollo?”

Magnus shut his eyes, “No, not Apollo,” he said, pulling himself up from his patient. “Did you pray to him for your brother’s healing?”

Jace shook his head, “No--”

“What a useless priest of Apollo you are,” Magnus cut him off in a polite quietness. He saw that Jace wanted to hit him for it, but he stared him down, neglecting to show him his god eyes. He would do just as well without them.

Swatting Athenians who claimed to be doctors out of the way, Magnus lifted his hand, laying a spell on Alec to mend his busted lip and bloody nose. The spell washed away the mix of spit and blood which coated Alec’s beard.

Magnus often forgot that mortals took injury difficulty. He wasn’t used to human pain, he’d never experienced it himself. Instead he tended to look at the mortal’s reaction to get an idea of the level of hurt. Now he was realizing, quite stupidly, that Alec’s tolerance for pain had nothing to do with his outward reaction to it.

Alec’s drooping lip sewed itself shut into two lips instead of three, and Magnus took inventory of his injuries again. Broken ribs mending with Magnus' hand, hundreds of scars from the past, a burn of exile on his shoulder which he hid under the knot of his tunic. Magnus wondered what Alec would look like if he cleaned up, shaved his beard and cut his hair. He was awfully pretty, but with unkempt hair he looked much older than he truly was and that too felt strange to Magnus. His godly mind struggling to grasp time from a mortal perspective.

“Your skin is so soft, yet you don’t take regular baths. How is it so?” Magnus said tenderly, laughing to himself when Alec opened his eye for that, then both eyes to frown at him in comical seriousness.

Magnus laughed harder, “I have awoken the hero with insults. How quaint,” he leant forward, forcing himself to smile pleasantly without too many teeth, “How is he doing? In need of rest but no longer on the brink of death, I see.”

Alec’s eyes widened, and despite everything that happened he looked sheepish. “I …” he lifted one of his hands to scrub at his face, “I feel strange. Like stars are in my body.”

So he wasn’t completely awake, Magnus pondered, as Alec continued his tired alliteration, “The stars are numb.”

Magnus’ heart broke, “Of course, of course. I will...” he started shakily, “I will help you get out of this, don’t worry.”

Alec shut his eyes again, eyebrows drawn together, hand gripping the chain he wore.

Magnus continued, trying to keep Alec from thinking of the pain, or lack thereof, of feeling in his body, “I’ve heard your gods want you to do one tiny last thing, and then….”

“Then?” Alec’s tongue fell heavy on his pallet.

“We’ll see,” Magnus said, unable to offer him much more than that. He noticed the people around them were still watching, speaking amongst themselves. Who needs a theatre festival when they get their very own tragedy happening before their eyes?

“Is Maia ok?”

“She’s right here,” Sure enough she neared them, nuzzling Alec’s hair briefly.

“The gods are waiting for you two,” Magnus said, as empathetic as he could. “We should not keep them.”

Alec didn’t look like he wanted to move. It made Magnus wonder what numb meant in compared to feeling. What Alec meant when he said he felt full of stars. He doubted Alec had ever touched a real star like he had. It had to be how stars looked, but that properly befuddled Magnus. Was it their brightness. Did Alec feel bright? Was Alec burning on the inside? Magnus surged forward, placing his hand on Alec’s and trying to calm him with a cooling spell but Alec only shuddered, rolling in on himself, chattering his teeth.

Maia pushed by and placed her wolf body next to Alec, which he gripped onto, fingers digging into the fur like a baby seeking warmth.

“Wh-why did you d-do that?” Alec chattered.

“I thought you meant you were being burned by stars when you said stars were in you,” Magnus said, quickly trying to lessen the cold spell with twitching hands.

“Why would stars burn?” Alec said, not seeming to understand why Magnus would think that.

Magnus paused, thinking about it. “It doesn’t matter,” he assured, not ready to explain that Anaxagoras was right and there were other universes and that the sun and stars were the same material. There was a time and a place, and that time and place was likely hundreds of years from them, maybe thousands at the speed humans insisted on going.

That was about the moment that the people of Athens started screaming. Magnus expected a light show or an earthquake to be the reason, but the passing screams were shrieking about the Spartans.

Maia whimpered as Alec’s grip tightened and he apologized to her, letting go. Magnus and Jace aided him to his elbows, Magnus’ attention completely on Alec.

“They want the princess, but you must come to the city gates closest to Sparta,” Magnus said while helping Alec to his feet. Alec took his arm gratefully, persistence moving his muscles more than thought. He shook on his legs like a reed in the wind, and Magnus stabilized him with a hand upholding his pain filled shoulders.

From reclining on the lion, Alec looked like he’d bathed in a bath of blood, his whole back was a canvas of saturation. It would blacken with oxygen if he didn’t change soon, and the blood would crust. Alec wore the life he took on his back.

The skies grew darker, no longer a clear patch to be seen and it churned, looking more like a a cavernous hellscape than the sky. Magnus felt electricity prickle on his knuckles, raising his hairs like fingers to the sky. The tunics of the people in the square ripped about in the wind, a flurry as active as the heights of their voices. 

Magnus pushed his hood down to see better and felt overcome by not only the visible elements but the sheer power resonating around him. Zeus was about. The fires in their brasers were no longer, they flushed away immediately with a swift wind.

“Let’s go,” Alec said, jaw clicking as he took in the surrounding chaos. “You said this is our destiny, the gods want to speak,” he began walking with a shaky limp, not allowing neither Magnus or Jace to help him.

Magnus walked behind Maia and Alec who looked as strange as a duo could be. A wolf leading a man, a man protecting the wolf like he was its dog. Magnus let himself witness them without interfering. He would only frighten the gods if he further implicated himself. To them he was a powerful being whose nature was unknown.

Part of Magnus felt that Zeus was trying to show off, to intimidate him, but Zeus did not know what Magnus had witnessed. Light shows were nothing in comparison to what he’d experienced at home, never mind in his travels abroad.

They neared the stone gates, guards of Athens positioned to respond with their spears at ready at the sight of the oncoming army.

Crows cawed in the distance. Incidentally, Zeus’ ruckus was least appreciated by the birds. One leader of Sparta was speaking to a leader of Athens in the center of what Magnus hoped would not become a battlefield but stayed untouched by siege. The shrubbery was too beautiful this time of year to be stepped on so callously.  

Two women awaited Maia, Alec and Magnus off to the side from the oncoming battle. The rest of the Athenians watched from within their city or took cover in case of siege. None looked to the women, who glowed faintly, pinpointing them as supernatural beings.

“Alexander of nowhere, we have long awaited this moment,” the older of the two said. She wore a sharp crown with golden bird claws curving in on top of her shawl, “I am Queen Hera.”

Magnus stood behind, eyeing the goddesses. The second woman wore bronze armour and he knew her to be Athena for all the clichés associated with her. Her glowing grey eyes surveyed the field of battle, watching the generals more than the three of them. It seemed the only calm bird in ten miles radius possessed keen claws and peered owlishly with her at the armies. It was an owl, after all, it could only peer owlishly.

Athena was keeping the generals at bay, her presence stopping the war from starting just yet.

Alec lowered himself into a kneel, mouth tight, saying nothing to Hera.

“Rise, Alexander,” Hera said, and he did, still looking at her like he was looking down a notched bow, that is to say halfway threatened and embittered by the goddess.

Magnus did not kneel, only cocked his head, watching them and occasionally the war personified. The sky had not ceased to thunder. Magnus wondered if it would soon rain or if throwing them into a slippery battle did not fit Zeus’ aesthetic. The thought of Zeus being picky with his own mood lighting amused Magnus to no end.

“We have watched you struggle for six years time,” Hera said to Alec, “And six years time you have proven to be resourceful and capable. Your mother was right about you.”

Alec broke out. “My mother?”

“Yes,” Hera said, “She told us you would make a great leader one day, and in exchange for our offer gave her life and the life of your brother and father, as well as six years of trials for you to prove to us that you are worth something to us.”

Alec looked down at his hands, trembling whether from the pain or the news it wasn’t certain. He choked on his own words, his last six years of misery making sense before his eyes. Magnus was ready to catch him if he went into cardiac arrest. Everything Alec suffered from dawn until now proved more jarring than most people could handle. Magnus could only pray that Alec still had some of his legendary strength to spare.   

Hera plastered on a motherly expression, like she finally found a way to get her two-year-old to eat without tantrum. “Your trials have ended, and by saving the princess of Sparta, you have proven yourself worthy of the throne we offer. The old king of Sparta is ill in the mind and does not lead correctly. You, on the other hand, embody a strength which Sparta has missed in leadership for the last four decades.”

“How did my mother make this deal?” Alec managed.

Hera nodded openly, arms spread. Magnus wondered if she was expecting gratitude or a hug or both from the trembling man she’d made of Alec. “Nemesis came to her in her dreams every night for a year. She told her that for a price you could gain glorious purpose and lead. That her family line would no longer be ostracized but reach the highest status. She killed her other son for the small chance that you would survive these trials, sacrificed her own blood for this glory.”

“No,” Alec said, “This isn’t what she told me. My mother wouldn’t do this.”

“The lie was part of the trial,” Hera assured.

“Nemesis did this to her,” Alec accused, gripping at his scalp and pulling at his hair with bloodless fingers, “She didn’t. It’s Nemesis who implanted these _things_ in her mind!”

Hera looked unimpressed at his panicked state, her thin lips pursing, “It is written by the fates that you will lead Sparta at the left hand of Princess Maia if you passed your tests, which you have. There is no denying your part.”

“What if I refuse?” Alec said, pulling himself as together as he could under the sparking sky, “I don’t want this. I don’t want to lead Sparta, to be a king or a servant. What if my way is a _third option_? Nemesis tortured my mother into killing my family and sacrificing my life and now I have done my time. I don’t want more. I want nothing of this except to live again away from sacrifices and tyranny. If you put me on the throne I will be the last of Sparta’s kings.”

The sky shook. Magnus felt the energy shake his essence. In slow motion, he felt lightning sizzle around them, and stepping calmly into Alec’s way, he felt the lightning fall through himself. It tasted like pettiness and scorched shrubs. Magnus felt no pain from it, only the absorption of Zeus’ wrath as it touched him, and his essence fed on the pure light and energy.

Unscathed, Magnus stepped to Hera and placed an electrically charged hand on her shoulder. She looked startled at him, his body gleaming from the absorption. If Zeus wanted to shock Alec off the earth, Magnus would painlessly transfer it to Zeus’ wife.

“I have a proposal,” Magnus said, his hands fizzling out. “As we say, anger, pride and hatred are defeated by gentleness,” Magnus said, “If you want one to do what you planned, you have to have offer them a choice, or you reap what you sow, which so far has been discord.”   

He removed his hand from Hera’s shoulder, holding it up. Suddenly, there was a gem resting in the center of it, a piece of opal, perfectly round, polished by the ocean and possessing small shocks. “My proposal is this, Queen Hera: You give Alec forty days to make his decision. In that time, you will not hurt him and if he decides to return to Sparta, you still will not harm him. If he decides not to return to Sparta, he will be exiled from Greek lands indefinitely and his wrath will not be your problem, as he would not be capable of using bitterness to amass a foreign army and siege your realm.”

Hera licked her lips, staring directly into the opal. She looked over to Athena who stood next to her like a pillar of ice, endlessly wise eyes looking off at a point of empty space.

“Is it wise?” Magnus asked Athena. She raised her eyes to him and nodded once, agreeing that is was. Forty days, a symmetrical number of pieces, a time period held dear across faiths, it was a sacred number for a Sumerian god.

Magnus smiled on the inside like the cat who got the cream, keeping his eyes on the wisdom goddesses rather than on Alec and Maia. On the outside Magnus looked composed and non-threateningly authoritative. He knew his stint with the lightning was bound to bring a new flavour to how the gods saw him, he only hoped he could play off being non-threatening in a way that suggested he had high defense but no offense to offer. Peacemaking was one hell of a drug if done correctly.

“What if the offer is broken by the god’s interference?” Athena asked. Magnus felt Alec lean closer, listening intently from behind him, practically breathing down Magnus’ neck. Magnus ignored it the best he could, forcing himself to repeat what Athena said, then clarified for her.

“That god will have to suffer the consequences of breaking an investment,” Magnus said, “Six years and hundreds dead is one thing, making tactically bad choices by destroying the trust of your investment in the process is another. I am offering a possible remedy and a way out if the investment does not comply and seeks violent action.”

“What is your interest in this?” Athena asked. “You have interest yourself in this mortal.”

“Originally, I was here to watch this fine specimen _smoothly_ become king,” Magnus purred, rolling the opal between his fingers, “but now I have garnered quite the affinity for him. He even worships me. What a man,” Magnus said with a smirky side eye to Alec’s jolt and hiked breath. “I have your bias, Athena. He’ll make a wonderful king if given the ability to make that choice. Just look at him. Even someone as ancient as I knows a body and mind like his only graces this earth every thousand years. He is truly blessed.”

At some point during this conversation, Athena had become the spokesperson for the gods, Hera sinking slowly behind her. Appropriately, she was the patron of Alec’s childhood city, her say held more weight. “Your offer is acceptable. The Spartans will leave with the wolf-princess. We have released her from her curse. She has forty-one days to be without husband. If Alexander does not return within this time, she will be married in Sparta without the possibility of Alexander taking the throne or helping her rule. If he does return, he will serve the Spartan kingdom for a full term. Choose wisely.”

The sky opened, the gods disappeared, and the generals had both called their troops away. Magnus noted that Maia trotted with them, acting less wild and more like a tamed hunting pup. She had forty-one days of freedom from marriage, and no predictable side effects of a cursed marriage. Magnus felt happy to see her leave Athens. She would never have thrived in the strict, quiet version of womanhood. She was made to be a Spartan Queen.

But his attention didn’t stay on the Spartan’s long. It took only a short minute of appreciating the scenery before he turned on the man he’d saved and asked, “Are you still blushing?”

Alec sputtered, “No. I--what was that?”

“I’d rather not answer in this exact moment since you look like you’re about to collapse. You are owed _so much_ sleep, pretty boy,” Magnus said.

Alec opened his mouth, but Magnus hovered a finger over his lips to stop him. “You. An Inn. Two days of pure slumber. _Then_ we talk. I haven’t finished fixing your injures and that will be much easier a task if you’re not squirming.”

“I don’t squirm,” Alec protested.

“ _We’ll see_.”


	6. The Squid and the Bathhouse

Looking at Alec’s sleeping face, Magnus realized he didn’t want to let Alec go on his own, not even to the bathroom unless they left Greek lands. His amputated sleep patterns meant Magnus had to keep washing him with a stream of warmth and comfort spells administered through Alec’s jewelry.

Magnus had managed to find an inn for them with a private room. Alec did not want to sleep, his mind too full of chaos but Magnus managed to convince him, telling him he would be no good to any of his thoughts if he didn’t heal.

While Alec dozed, Magnus cleaned the superficial injuries, noting how much Alec needed a bath. That was on Magnus’ pamper Alec list. Get Alec pampered for the first time in six years and if Magnus got an experience out of it, all the better.

It was strange taking care of mortals, so strong minded but made of perishable material and so wretchedly breakable. Like a caterpillar always on the precipice of falling in a stream, Alec had been prodded for a long time to test his grip on the living world.

Magnus looked back on his scrolls. Ever since he’d visited China, he’d been using their paper to note down any wisdom from his travels. It felt important to him to connect with the multitude of mortal thoughts to make better sense of his work around them. He’d witnessed many failures in his time. Gods wiping out entire islands out of anger at their people. Magnus found himself fascinated on how that could have been avoided. Mortals were not all dumb creatures, every generation tried new things, lived flexibly. Some did not do well, and others did, and Magnus wanted to know the factors of what made some resilient since his mortal mother had not made it past the age of twenty. He’d been studying texts, lessons and oral traditions. Through his travels he spoke to king and shepherd, rice farmer and hunter-gatherer. Every person had a different drive, a different reason for living short lives cut in half by sleep.

Alec was a study of resilience, someone who lived consistently shamed and kept going like a wheel down a hill and Magnus vowed to watch and note what drove him, but the past few days proved only watching wasn’t enough to understand, especially when the man lived in quiet solitude. Other people lived in solitude and enjoyed it, some even said that man’s happiness lay in vacant steppes. But not with Alec.

Here, lying on a red patterned sheet, Alec looked like he was up on a funeral pyre, scarred and pale, his often shaking hands limp on his chest. Magnus’ new project. A fine glass of wine.

Magnus himself was not used to solitude until this trip. He lived with people who didn’t know him as a god, and he cooked and built with them. He wanted to learn from mortals, not from the opinions of the gods. He enjoyed living in community, even if he could not feel physically. The idea of taking on mortal flesh was terrifying in many ways, because it would mean he could feel like they could. If he were to blend with them truly, Magnus felt he needed much more theoretical practice at being a mortal. It was a way to honour his mortal mother to understand her experiences--but Magnus felt afraid of going down that road, although he knew he would eventually for her.

If he was to be a god of man, it made sense to know what it was like to be a human, but he wanted many perspectives first before he attempted something so volatile.

In a mortal body he would not die, but he would feel as they felt, even pain. He would be making himself vulnerable to gods and the elements, but he would also learn the drive of humans like his mother.  

It would take time for Magnus to feel comfortable enough to attempt the experiment in person. For now, he would keep on with the theoretical.

Speaking of theoretical, Magnus wondered to himself why he picked a trained killer of all people to save just to study resilience. Certainly Alec hadn’t aspired to be a killer, but he was very good at it. Magnus had to think of what bringing a killer to freedom would mean for society. If he made a mistake. What would a tortured soul want to do with freedom?

Alec stirred awake, discomforted by the light streaming in above him. He scrunched his face and Magnus watched with interest as Alec pushed himself up, looking around frantically. When his eyes landed on Magnus, Magnus waved to him in the most chipper way he could.

“Good morning, I’ve been waiting to take you out to breakfast for ages,” Magnus said, “Did you sleep well?”

Alec rubbed at his beard, grimacing, “Yeah, I-- Where’s Jace?”

“I took you off his hands, you may visit him after you’ve eaten and bathed. Which reminds me—I’m taking ou to the bathhouse this afternoon,” Magnus said, chipper and happy to get out of his studies for some time. “We’re at an inn, doe eyes.”  

As if on cue, Alec blinked and those long lashes fluttered. He was strangely adorable.

“Do you have a preference for food?” Magnus asked, lifting himself and making his way to the door. Alec followed hurriedly.

“Do you have money?” Alec said.

“Of course, I housed you at the inn, didn’t I?” Magnus said coyly. Alec just huffed and shook his head, smiling.

“Now, food and drink,” Magnus said. “I’ve done this for your own amusement.”

They exited the inn and Magnus watched Alec take in the busy streets. Women with servants carrying parasols, birds in cages, men slick with sports oil racing one another and so many tunics. Magnus was starting to get tired of seeing tunics to be quite honest. The world had so much more variety to offer than single cloth clothing.  Thinking about it, he barely noticed when Alec broke off from him and turned into an alleyway.

Magnus followed him now, only to see that Alec found an outdoor street vendor who was cooking his wares on a coal bed.

“What do you want?” Alec asked Magnus. Magnus peered at the squid on a spit, crumpled and covered with herbs. It looked golden, a set of juices warmed to look more like bread then the animal it had been.

Magnus declined, waving it off. He handed the vendor a couple coins and Alec took stick of squid with him, munching. The vegetables and figs came in a bowl they would have to return. They sat together in the sun, Alec eating and Magnus watching a child thief nab themselves a handful of olives before jetting away.

“Why won’t you eat?” Alec said, looking concerned. Magnus almost laughed.

“I don’t have taste buds,” Magnus said, leaning close to speak covertly. He could see Alec’s pupils widening with the small action. It was _interesting_. “I’m a god, not a mortal.”

Alec furrowed his brows, “I thought the gods could enjoy…”

“Some can, but not me,” Magnus said, “I am rather new to all this.”

“Wait here,” Alec said, and got up. He went towards a braser and poured half his food into the fires, saying a quick word. Magnus could feel a spike of power shoot through him, plus life energy and what he always associated to be similar to flavour.

“Thank you,” Magnus said warmly when Alec returned, eye crinkling.

“You bought it, it makes sense,” Alec said sheepishly, “Was that okay?”

“Mmmhm, more than,” Magnus assured, trying to think of how to respond with a mortal. With gods it was different, they interacted in ways unknown to the human plane. It felt like worship. An assurance of faith and respect something much deeper. But with mortals there was no equivalent. Magnus could not worship a mortal, but he could give one a hug, which he did, causing Alec to yelp in surprise.

“Is that okay?” Magnus said when he let go of Alec’s shoulders.

Alec nodded quickly, far too many times, red staining his cheeks.

“I need--water, I need to get--” Alec rushed off to the public well, Magnus at his heels. While Alec drank, Magnus sat himself on the edge of the well, perking his ear hearing gossip around him. The women’s meeting place was where they warned each other of price hikes and creeps, prattling about great finds and ways to keep their complexions clear. Magnus thought he heard one of the woman call Alec dirty, but he ignored her. She was right, but they would soon take care of that. Meanwhile, Alec guzzled from his bowl, sucking the water back from where he’d poured it.

“Where is the best bath house of the city?” Magnus asked around suddenly, “My friend has returned from a long journey and I want to spoil him.”

Quickly, a hundred different directions were thrown at him, including some which were their own homes. Magnus smiled graciously, thanking them kindly and slipping off the rim of the well onto solid ground.  

Alec returned the bowl and off they went, Magnus pulling Alec behind him. It felt strangely normal to do such mundane things with Alec. It reminded him of his home where he helped change babies and advised the men in diplomacy. Magnus thought back on his people and felt a spike of excitement thinking about all the lessons he would bring back to them from his travels, so many stories and philosophies.

In the coin box just inside the public baths, Magnus dropped two obols. He could hear the games happening in the gymnasium next to the bathhouse, and was glad that the aroma of special oils overtook the smell of sweat and sport.

Steam enveloped them, and underground system of heating turning some of the baths into caldariums while others were left cool. Echoing voices bubbled around the room, rippling like the water around the people in motion. If he were less concentrated, they would sound like hiccuping frogs on a spring night. He saw massage tables, the energies around him different from the street. Very few were frantic in this environment.

There was little to no roof, the sky bright over top of them, nature taking its course. If it rained few would complain.

Alec’s shoulders tightened in discomfort or pain, but he ended up disrobing himself and sitting in the cold pool nearby. Magnus followed suit, sitting on the edge of the pool. No one paid attention to them, all equally focused on sponging and relaxing.

Magnus had no need for bathing, his body wouldn’t get dirty, his complexion always remaining the same. And still, Alec kept peering at him, looking completely discombobulated.

“Do I have something on my face?” Magnus asked, knowing very well that he did not.

Alec shook his head and looked away, scrubbing more harshly at his ribs.

“Slow, now, you’ll hurt yourself,” Magnus said, getting into the pool and gently taking the sponge from Alec’s grip. Alec’s fingers loosened around it without protest, mellowing.

Magnus went over the spot on Alec’s ribs ever so softly, clearing it away of grime like he used to on the elders. He knew from practice how hard to press. He did so for a bit, instructing Alec to put his hand on his shoulder so that he could clean the length of his arm. Alec did so shuffling a bit to get closer. Magnus helped him reach the crevices of his back, anointing them with skin softening oils.

Once Magnus finished he threw the sponge into Alec’s face, grinning at the look he got and ducking a small tsunami aimed at him.

“Is that how you treat the one you worship?” Magnus called out, smiling toothily at Alec’s sputtered protests. It reminded Magnus of something, “Is there a barber here?” he asked generally. He was pointed to an attendant across the room. Magnus motioned for Alec to follow and presented him to the barber like a broken sandal. “He needs to be shaved, entirely,” and he dropped several obols into the barber’s hands.

Alec looked at the shaving knife, then Magnus, then the shaving knife again.

“You need a new start,” Magnus said, “You no longer live on the mountain.”

“I’ll look like a eunuch,” Alec said, “Or a boy,” Magnus rolled his eyes.

“I know your hair type, you’ll have another beard by the end of the day,” Magnus said, “No one will mistake you for either. And I’ll have you know, I’ve met many attractive eunuchs--” he went on, entertaining Alec with a story as the barber did his magic.

Magnus requested another barber, getting a shave and a haircut himself. He did not want to be a hypocrite.

When he turned around, he saw Alec looked strange, as people did when they lost their beards. He was all ears and chin, lips no longer half covered in curling circuits. Magnus slipped off his bench to check the handiwork, taking Alec’s face in his hands. He admired the pink of his lips a little longer than he was probably meant to. Alec’s body now looked like a statue, cleared of natural pieces so that he could be washed further.

Alec looked at Magnus’ face and said, “You didn’t need to shave, you look almost the same.”

“A gift or a curse, take it as you will,” Magnus said, leading him to the hottest baths again. They melted side by side. For a moment Magnus felt like he knew what it was to truly rest. He felt like the steam itself, rising but without consciousness.

“Thank you,” Alec said, speaking at a volume only Magnus could hear. Magnus popped an eye open, nodding lazily. Alec rubbed at his wrists, seeming out of words, then he picked up again, “What do you want in return?”

“Nothing really,” Magnus lied, when truly being there was an educational experience. He didn’t need to share his true reasons, “If I think of anything, I’ll mention it.”

Alec looked a little put off.

“Now that you’re fed, bathed and rested, what do you think you’ll do with your freedom?” Magnus asked.

Alec replied he didn’t know.

“What do you want to do, if you could do anything in the world?” Magnus asked, truly wondering what a killer would want among all aspirations.

“To find my sister,” Alec mumbled.

Magnus opened his eyes, cocking his head. “Hm?”

“I sent her off to protect her from the gods. Now I don’t know where she is. I just want to protect her. I hope she’s still alive, and lives well as a free woman, maybe with a caring new family. I don’t--I can’t just ask her through the mail.”

Magnus turned his body to Alec, trying to read him.

Alec, face ever contorted into seriousness went on, “I want to give her back this,” he fiddled with the jewel on his chest, “It’s her’s.”

Magnus pondered this. He didn’t know where he wanted to travel next, but he felt his transactions with Alec were unfinished.

“And if you knew where she was, what would you do?” Magnus said, “Would you leave this city where you could live comfortably with Jace?”

“In the batt of an eye,” Alec affirmed. “She means the world to me. And Jace is fine. I don’t have to worry about him.”

“Sounds like an adventure,” Magnus said. “It’ll be awfully difficult to do without being able to track her.”

“I would go east until I find her anyways. 

“Good thing I know how to track her,” Magnus said.

Alec stilled.

“I’m not all a pretty face, I do have _skills_ ,” Magnus said.

The expression on Alec’s face could only be described as anxious and prayerful.

“Just ask me,” Magnus said, sitting forward, looking Alec in the eyes.

Alec’s eyelids dropped, “Will you come with me?”

“Only if you desire it. I’m not a parasite,” Magnus said.

“I know that,” Alec said, hand reaching up to skid Magnus’ hair back from his temple. Magnus felt the energy in his fingertips fizzle there, he lent into the touch.

“Will you help me track my sister?” Alec said with wide, honest eyes, “And stay until we find her?”

Magnus clasped Alec’s body chain, an object of his own making, and tugged the ruby forward, pressing his thumb on the jewel. They touched foreheads, newly cut wet hair pressing together. Their knees clicked on the bench.

Magnus swayed, feeling the jewel on the edge of his nail, twisting it. Even shadowed by both of their bodies, it was beautiful. The craftsmanship a splendour.

“Where did she find this?” Magnus asked.

“My mother gave it to her,” Alec said solemnly, fist clenching on his lap below the water, “I should have known.”

Magnus listened to the jewel in his palm. He saw visions of being hunted in the woods. Alec. Lightning crackling in the distance. The ever-present danger of dying. Magnus pressed further until he found himself seeing through the eyes of a brown eyed girl. She flitted through a crowd of merchants. A man tried to grab her from behind and she dug her pointed shoe into his ankle and twisting her body away from his grasp, dashing away while grinning the entire time. She ran to the closest building she saw, when she got there she started scaling the wall until she was resting on the top of one the building’s pillars. She took out an apple and started eating it while she caught her breath. Suddenly the building started shaking.

Magnus opened his eyes, tilting Alec’s head up with the edge of his knuckle. “I know where she is. It’s a distant land, but not impossible to reach,” he said.

 

ΔΔΔ

 

Magnus tried to hide his smile behind his hand. It was difficult keeping a straight face when he watched his mortal was walking around, rubbing his cheek which was smooth for the first time in years.

“You’re ridiculous,” Magnus commented, earning a bright smile.“Don’t be shy about it, I’m glad you’re enjoying it,” he added, patting Alec’s shoulder. They’d bought new clothes for the trip. Magnus swished his red woolen cloak and feeling content in his fashionable leather hat. The cloak hid his body chains from direct eyesight. The cloak’ clasp was made of electrum rope. When Alec asked him why it was necessary to buy clothes, Magnus told him something of contributing to the market economy. Truly, Magnus just enjoyed throwing different Doric chitons at Alec to see how they would look on him. He was already imagining him in Indonesian clothing, perhaps something Scandinavian. Magnus’ mind made many pleasant rounds in dreamland before Alec realized the sun was setting and pointed it out to Magnus.

Alec got himself oak bark and olive oil treated leather, which got him a loving embrace from Magnus, he was also wearing sandals, something he hasn’t owned in ages.

Lastly, Alec went down on his one knee so that Magnus could place a circlet on his head, the gold was barely visibly underneath his dark curls but Alec made it look breath taking. It had been so long since someone acknowledged Magnus’ godly status, mostly because Magnus did not like going around demanding to be worshiped like the way other gods did. Yet Alec seemed to always have known about it and even though he did not trust gods in general, he treated Magnus like a man and a god, praying to him while also expressed his concern for Magnus. It warmed Magnus’s heart that Alec acknowledged every part of him, and Alec didn’t seem to know the impact it was having on him.

Magnus, who had felt out of place among the Greek bureaucracy and watching from afar the workings of the divine, found being with Alec fulfilling. He was strangely easy to talk to. Magnus could feel Alec’s eyes on him even when he wasn’t speaking to him, he noticed his small gestures, including volunteering to wash his hair at the public baths, explaining he used to do it for his siblings. Magnus almost took him up on his offer.

As they were walking towards Alec’s old home, Alec had something he just had to pick up before they left. The city torches blazed in the lazy afternoon, the blue sky pinkening. Everything felt warm and calming. Magnus stayed some distance away while Alec went up to the house and knocked on the door. He sat on the fence, stroking a cat, watching as Alec was greeted by an elderly couple and went inside.

Magnus laid his head back, letting the energy of the sun in all its radiance lavish him. The calico on his lap seemed to have the same idea, it gave Magnus a pleased yawn and purr, pawing into his cloak and finding herself the perfect place to rest. No matter where he went, cats sought him out, which worked for him seeing as he loved cats.

The sky was crimson by the time Alec returned. He waved at the elderly couple goodbye and turned towards Magnus. In his hands were three alabastrons, small vases meant to store perfumes and massage oils. Magnus couldn’t see why Alec would need to take perfume with him, but this was just another reminder that he barely knew anything about this man.

“I would love to keep her, but she seems to have an owner,” Magnus said, lifting the golden ring on the cat’s ear. “What a pretty one she is,” he said, while gently taking her off his lap.

Alec extending his hand towards him, he opened him hand, only to receive a couple drachmas.

“It’s what’s left from my family. It’s to pay for the sandals, bathhouse, tunic,” he trailed off, looking sheepish.

Magnus shook his head, “No, no. You will need this returning to Greece. I have no need for riches,” he said, placing them back into Alec’s hand. His eyes trailed to the alabastrons, but he said nothing. “You will need these when you find your sister. They could most likely be melted into another currency.”

Alec floundered, “I can find a job, you shouldn’t be burdened with it. We barely know you.”

“Perhaps,” Magnus said, “But it isn’t often that I find a mortal I like to dress and bathe so much. If I had been through what you did I would want to be re-given the world,” he said, “Chin up, you have nothing to worry about.”

 

ΔΔΔ

 

Lastly, they went to Jace’s for the evening, knowing he’d offer them a guest room. Magnus did not particularly care for Alec’s brother. While in the symposium, Jace talked Alec’s ear off about sports and his life, never once taking interest in Alec’s.

Meanwhile Magnus picked at an olive, quietly judging him for it. Alec didn’t seem to mind, listening intently, though sometimes he fiddled with the pillows or his food, showing that he also found it difficult to be fully present.

Jace barely registered Magnus’s presence, treating him like he was invisible, at most a nuisance who followed his brother around. Although the slaves offered Magnus food, Magnus was presented the furthest couch from the two other men. Magnus pondered bitterly on how he should be thankful Jace didn’t send him to the Gynaikon.

Shifting onto his back, Magnus read the engravings on the walls, then pulled a scroll from his satchel where he noted the day’s events in shorthand before moving on to a mind-numbing treatise to block out the blond one’s unending prattle. He tried to swallow his bitterness, he did, this was a family meeting after all. He had invited himself there without knowing the man. But he still felt slighted for more than one reason. He realized he was jealous, and the thought was nerve-racking. He was normally a very calm, live and let go sort of soul. To think his bitterness came from something so juvenile as possessiveness took him by surprise. He had to remind himself that as much as he liked Alec, he wasn’t a thing, he was a person, and while he himself did not like Jace for reasons other than his connection with Alec, it wasn’t right to put that bitterness on Alec’s shoulders.

Such a strange feeling, jealousy. It was known as one of the worst sins. Jace and Alec’s gods were known for ruining generations from that single feeling alone. Women turned into spiders for bragging, a constant stream of people turning into trees, animals even flowers because of jealousy and possessiveness.

Magnus automatically tried to stifle the strange feeling, to let go before it poisoned him. Magnus turn off his mind to deal with the emotion but instead the fell asleep as the boredom finally crept up on him.

At some point that night, he felt himself being carried, his head resting against Alec’s chest. He let himself be carried to bed, gathered in Alec’s arms. He felt as Alec tucked him in and drifted off again.

 

ΔΔΔ

 

When Magnus woke up, he pushed himself upright to look around the room he was in. It was a nice room, with luxurious curtains and decorative arrangements. He heard snoring but couldn’t find where it was coming from until he looked to the floor. Alec was curled up in a ball on the floor, with his face tucked into the crook of his arm to block out the sun.

Magnus placed a precarious toe down on the floor, and tugged the blanket off the bed, splaying it on Alec. He didn’t try pushing a pillow under his head in case he woke him. He then spent time laying in the sun, fading in and out of sleep while waiting for the mortal to wake up. There was noises going from downstairs but he didn’t have any interest in encountering Jace, so he ignored it. The morning air had a cool breeze to it that came dancing in through the sun filled window. Though it didn’t make the mortal shiver, but it kept the room well balanced. A humeral doctor’s dream.

Magnus splayed himself on the bed, cheek resting on the corner of the mattress as he waited for Alec to return to the world of the waking. He didn’t mean to watch him sleep, but it was something that made the time go by quicker.

Looking at Alec, that strange feeling of jealousy and affection spread through his heart. Magnus was no stranger to affection yet this concoction made his head spin.

The feeling deepened into unease with shots of fear as Magnus realized this might mimic how his father felt when he met his mother. Disgust and unworthiness made Magnus’s stomach turn. He loved his mother but her brief stint with his father had ruined her life. There was no denying the chaos and destruction that fell upon her life when Magnus was born. Magnus shut his eyes, tears peeking through, wetting on his eyelashes. This self-disgust was precisely why he didn’t want to be in his mortal form, despite the chance to feel closer to his mother.

 

ΔΔΔ

 

They left mid-morning with hiking robes on their backs and their sandals tied tightly to their ankles. Alec carried with him a small handkerchief of roasted grasshoppers and honey cakes to take on their journey, along with a flask of water.

The Greek city woke up around them like a child running through a flock of seagulls. And they were off.


	7. Infant Exposure

 

Magnus stopped mid conversation and perked his ears, listening to something which was coming from the city limits. “Why are those jars screaming?” he asked.

It was clear that Magnus was a bleeding heart who wanted to save everyone in need and that this would only end up ruining his day. Alec swallowed hard and looked away, avoiding Magnus’ eyes. “It is nothing” Alec said.

“Well, if it’s nothing, then you won’t mind if I have a look,” Magnus said.

“It’s—look, they’re children. When a baby is born, and the father doesn’t like them, they put them in a vase and leave them out to die of exposure,” Alec said, watching Magnus’ eyes widen inch by inch. “Well, some of the babies will be saved by slave sellers, so you don’t have to worry—”

But Magnus had already shot off towards the graveyard of jars, searching around wildly. Alec followed quickly in his stead, trying to stop him from seeing something he would regret, but the whole situation was of such.

“They’re all girls,” Magnus said brokenly, “I haven’t seen a boy yet. 

“If they’re saved, they’re usually sold as prostitutes,” Alec said.

Magnus grit his teeth and knelt, picking up one of the screaming jars.

“What are you doing?” Alec said, finding himself quickly behind Magnus away from the jar graveyard and back towards the path, Magnus clasping the jar to his chest.

“Who does such a thing, what kind of people—”

“In Sparta they throw them off cliffs,” Alec said unhelpfully only to feel a hand on his mouth seconds later.

“Stop talking,” Magnus said, glaring at Alec through kohl brimmed eyes. “She doesn’t need to hear this.”

Alec watched solemnly as Magnus put his hand down and carefully pulled the baby from the jar. She was hardly the size of Alec’s hand, small and crinkled, with bronzed skin and tuffs of dark brown hair. Alec felt his heart give out for a moment. He’d never thought of looking in the jars, he was too afraid. All his life he’d never thought he would ever be able to protect anyone in those jars, yet Magnus could. Magnus was cooing, wrapping her in a scarf of silk he had around his waist. He held her to his chest to warm her and sat on the path, cross legged, gazing down at the baby. He swept his hand out and summoned some milk in a bottle, placing it to her lips. She ate greedily, and Alec could do nothing but stare.

“I’m naming her Madzie,” Magnus said, “Look at her,” he placed a curved finger near her small hands and she reached out and held it like she was anchoring herself for dear life. “Hello, Madzie. I’m Magnus. You’ll be safe and happy with me,” he said, leaning near her so she could see him clearly with her bleary, baby eyes. 

Madzie gurgled, and Magnus tapped her on the back to keep her from suffering further.

“She’s a keeper, I already love her,” Magnus said adoringly, stroking her hair.

Alec watched as Magnus made the silk scarf into a sling and put it around his body to carry her with, but only after fixing her with a little pouch diaper he’d summoned. She nuzzled cozily to his chest, slobbering.

“So that’s it, you’re just adopting a baby?” Alec said.

“Yes,” Magnus said, smiling proudly, a blinding, full toothed grin which caused Alec’s heart to skip a beat.  

 

ΔΔΔ

 

They were trudging through the forest with the sleeping baby when Magnus saw someone in a white dress walk into the clearing.

“Boys,” she said.

“Princess Maia,” Alec responded, looking surprised much to Magnus’ amusement.

“And a baby,” Maia said, “It’s been two days and you already have a kid? Which one of you birthed it?”

Magnus smiled wildly, “Perhaps we should ask you how you escaped your country.”

Maia smirked, “I switched with another wolf on the way home. They barely noticed our difference. Except that one won’t become me anytime soon,” she said, “It’s easier to live out here as a wolf than a prisoner elsewhere. I didn’t feel like getting locked in another tower for 40 days until they marry me,” Maia drawled, rolling her eyes. She was awfully calm about all this, “What are you two doing? Kidnapping babies and bringing them to the mountain?”

“Close,” Magnus said, looking down at the bundle napping on his chest, “We definitely have a baby and we are going towards the caves across the forest. We have reason to believe that Alec’s sister is in Persia,” he said, side eyeing the man who stayed quiet.

Maia pondered this, “Mind if I tag along?”

“Why would you be interested?” Magnus asked, stepping closer to her so that they were no longer rising their voices to each other. He heard Alec follow, feeling his presence.

“I’m not going to be a great ruler if I don’t travel to see how other countries function,” Maia said, “And I know you’re both travelling to find a woman, so a woman travelling with you wouldn’t be a bother, would it?”

This fascinated Magnus, “You want to follow us for… educational reasons?”

Maia nodded.

“If you are interested in knowledge,” Magnus started, “I would be happy to discuss my travels and findings with you on the way, after all I have done extensive journaling,” he said.

Maia cracked a grin.

 

ΔΔΔ

 

They continued westward until they found a dip in the rock. Magnus felt the bowels to the underworld underneath his feet. He led them down it, a hand on Madzie’s head to make sure she was not shaken in their spelunking. The moment they entered the cave, Magnus felt the temperature drop several degrees. He held out the hand which wasn’t holding Madzie safe against him and lit a blue tinted flame, opening up their view to winding tunnels that were decorated with rocks that looked like melted wax hinging off the edge of a candle. Off in the distance he could hear an aquifer. The ceiling was like a widening pocket. Maia brushed along the stalagmites as if counting them, she threw her gaze up to the unimaginable ceiling.

“Be as quiet as possible, we don’t want to awaken the screaming dwellers,” Magnus said, turning to Alec only to shine light on him the moment a giant spider was in the midst of landing on his nose. Alec yelled, Madzie yelled, Maia burst out laughing and they were suddenly swarmed by what felt like a thousand bats.     

“How are you afraid of that,” Maia said, pulling the spider away from Alec by its web and pitching it away, “When you fought a lion boar?”

Magnus was too busy comforting Madzie to look over at them.

“Shh, sweet child, sleep. No, no, we’ll be fine,” Magnus admonished the two others with a look. “You had one job. Do I have to turn you both into bats?”

Alec looked fearfully apologetic, eyes wide as saucers.

“Oh please, I was joke-” another extremely loud bat zipped overhead, making Maia yelp.

“We’re even,” Maia said deadpan to Alec.

“It was never a competition,” Alec protested.

Magnus continued into the tunnels, wondering when they would notice it was time to go.

 

ΔΔΔ

 

Later that night, they found themselves a niche without too many crickets so they could make a bed.

Magnus stood before Alec in all his patient glory looking at him expectantly. “You know, earlier, dancing and ditching is very impolite,” Magnus purred, speaking of their first meeting, “But I will forgive you. You _did_ bring the princess.”

Maia slept on the floor furthest from the fire in wolf form, that way she was her own pillow and she was as cozy as she needed to be. Her even breathing told Magnus she was asleep, but he never truly knew with her. She was a mystery wrapped in more mysteries.  

Just before Alec could ask how going through a cave was going to get them to Persia Magnus put a finger on his lips, “It’s been a long day and mortals need to sleep.”

“If you think I can sleep after all this,” Alec said, motioning to empty air and trailing off. “The only reason I slept before was because I was exhausted. I’m no longer that tired.”

Magnus pursed his lips, “Alright. Let’s talk then,” he sat himself down on the floor of the cave, cross legged and comfortable, Madzie ever present in her hammock. “I have been dying to get to know you, Alexander. It’s one thing to watch you fight monsters, it’s another to actually speak to you in person.”

“Right,” Alec said, feet scraping loudly on the uneven cave floor. “You’ve been watching me.”

“Only to keep the gods from throwing curses on you, your privacy is completely your own.”

“Privacy with the gods?” Alec snapped, “They didn’t let me do anything,” there was the anger. Magnus had been expecting it, but Alec kept it well contained until now.

“Good point,” Magnus replied to soothe him. “You are like a stage play to them.”

“And to you?” Alec said, “How is everything you said different from them?”

Magnus’ smile dropped, “Oh Alexander, don’t categorize me with them. I don’t respect cruelty.”

“Then how do you stand me?” Alec said, getting louder until he realized it and whispered harshly at Magnus, “I killed every day and night since my parents and brother died! I’m cruel. I’ve killed Spartans, pigs, everything that crossed my path. I can’t seem to stop, it keeps happening and I can’t stop—” Alec crumpled into himself, letting himself go in an embarrassing loss of control.

Magnus stayed quiet, then sat near Alec, wrapping him into a tight hug, “You will. You will learn to stop. I have this feeling your gods do not know how to stop either, that is why I’m here as an intermediary.”

Alec laughed wetly, “You’re the god of mediation?”

“I like adding titles to my repertoire, so I’ll take it,” Magnus said.

Alec pulled away, looking around again. “Where are we, really?”

“In a cave, hidden away,” Magnus said, “I have connections to all the caves on Earth. To reach the other side will be child’s play.”

“Aren’t there dryads or spirits here?” Alec examined Magnus critically, to which Magnus bopped him on the nose with his finger.

“You’re adorable. No, only a cave demon. Naturally, I called in some favours. After all this is my father’s domain.” Alec was still confused on how a demon was connected to Magnus, but he was even more confused about being called adorable after Magnus had seen all the blood he shed. Maybe the word didn’t mean what Magnus thought it meant.

Magnus held out a hand, “Now, let’s start from the beginning. I am Magnus, sorcerer, god of mediation, gorgeous enchanter,” he said, making Alec’s face heat up.

“Hey,” Alec spluttered, “I didn’t know your name. You’re not a witch so I called you that because you’re magical.”

“Mm, you should write an epic about it. I would read all twenty of your acts.”

“Twenty—?”

“Of course, just remember to compare my lips to petals, eyes like glimmering coals on a hot—”

Alec found himself covering Magnus’ mouth his hand, feeling extremely flushed and frantic for some reason he couldn’t comprehend.

Realizing he’d covered Magnus’ mouth, Alec dropped his hands to his sides, apologizing profusely, “I’m sorry, that was rude.”

But Magnus wasn’t paying attention, his eyes had dropped with Alec’s hands and he spoke in a mesmerized voice, “Your hands are so calloused. May I hold one? If you don’t mind?”

That was just about too much for Alec’s heart to handle in one day. “I should sleep,” Alec said, pushing out of his chair, “We can, uh, hold hands in the morning.”

Magnus settled back on his forearms, “Please, make yourself comfortable.”

Alec looked like he was about to lie down but he sat next to Magnus instead, looking dejected at the fire.

“You know, you can talk about what happened to you,” Magnus said, “I’ve seen the cruelty of the gods, but it does not mean I saw everything. It certainly doesn’t mean I understand any of it, or you.”

Alec slumped forward, keeping his forehead up with his hand so that he could tilt his head towards Magnus.

Finally, he broke the silence, “You know all those monsters they sent?” Alec said, “The boars, lions, hydras, griffins,” he trailed off barely enunciating in the way Magnus noticed he tended to do when he was feeling lost.

Magnus nodded.

Alec looked over at Magnus, his face shadowed and gleaming all in one, “They use to be people. People like me who the gods didn’t want. To punish wrongdoers, the gods turned them into flowers, animals, monsters and so on. Some of the worst-off went after me,” he looked at his open hands, straightening up. After several cracks from the fire, Alec said, “I felt like I was part of a cycle. If the gods got tired of me, they’d turn me into one of those things and have me killed by an equally desperate hero.”

Magnus looked off to the fire, reading its patterns on the walls. In the distance he could hear demonic chattering, but he kept them at bay by sheer will force.

Alec licked his lips, oblivious of the forces outside their room in the cave.

Magnus was about to reassure him, to say anything that would address the horrific experience Alec had, but Alec spoke before Magnus had the chance.

“What brought you here?” said Alec curiously, “You said you’re the son of a cave demon, and your clothes don’t look like those from Greece. Are you from Persia?”

Magnus tapped on his chin before saying, “No, I’m from a place further away than Persia. Much, much further.”

“India?” Alec said, “The furthest nation.”

Magnus couldn’t help but snort, causing Alec to furrow his brows, “India is not the furthest nation, it’s only the furthest you know of. I am from further than that, from an island on the ocean,” Magnus said breezily, remembering the energy of the winds, the gorgeous botany.

“What made you come here?” Alec inquired.

Magnus rubbed his forefinger to his thumb, trying to think of a way to phrase his journey. “Curiosity,” Magnus said, “My undoing was traveling across the world. I realized how to travel through caves and I began wandering some seventy years ago,” Alec gaped at him, edging Magnus to continue, “The world and its rules are such strange things. After buying paper in the middle kingdom, I chose to look at different nations to build my morals. I was getting tired of godly bureaucracy, I wanted to see how mortals thought.”

“And how … how do they think?” Alec said.

“I don’t know,” Magnus said, “I’ve learned a lot of details, I’ve read texts a million times but I still feel utterly detached,” he said honestly with saddened eyes, “No matter who I speak to, or philosophies I follow, I can live with friends and family, but I don’t know how they feel.”

Alec pended on it, “You know, none of us do? We never know people’s true intentions. We’re all just working on guesses.”

Magnus pondered that.

“Do all the gods feel attached to each other?” Alec asked.

“Yes,” Magnus said, “We are all from something greater. Our energies, our thoughts are all on a wavelength which makes sense together, even if it seems that we disagree, we are all working with a greater path, like fate, as you call it.”

“Then that’s your problem,” Alec said, “You’re hoping to find a human understanding like one you see in a hive of bees, but we’re all different. Most of us don’t know why we’re here. Sometimes it just feels like we’re in a play for someone else.”

“That’s so chaotic,” Magnus said.

“You think I’d suffer if I didn’t have to?” Alec said, “It wasn’t for the greater good. I lived through that because someone else wanted me to.”

Magnus fell silent again.

“But it led me to you,” Alec reassured him, “I met you because of it, and now we’re finding my sister. Sure, we can’t save my parents or my younger brother, but it’s a start. Some people lose their families to pestilence. I didn’t have to watch my family wither away like that. And that’s probably a good thing. It would have broken me,” Alec said shakily.

“My mother was mortal, you know,” Magnus said, raising his eyes, “She could not stand being on Earth, so she took her own life. I barely knew her, but I could never understand what greater good would come out of her leaving me.”

Alec pressed his lips together, looking at Magnus with soft, understanding eyes.

“She was so lovely and kind,” Magnus croaked, “And she attracted my father. Next thing she knew she was pregnant and the other people of her family did not approve of her pregnancy with me. They still supported her, but she knew what they were thinking, and when I was still a wisp of who I am today, she left us. I never understood that, Alec. Why would someone with such a short life choose to end it all?” he said, voice pleading now, “I was never going to spend an eternity with her, but that was much shorter than she already had.”

Alec ducked his head and took Magnus’ hand, callouses rubbing on Magnus’ ringed fingers. It made Magnus long for something, something he didn’t have a reason for. It made him want to try to be human, but he still wasn’t ready to take on the mortal coil. It would be a decision made under stress, and he didn’t want that to be his reason.

“Why did you adopt the baby?” Alec asked, “Have you done it before?”

Magnus nodded, “Not adopt but I’ve taken care of children before. I will admit this was impromptu, but I couldn’t leave her. I can’t abandon children the way those people did.”

Alec said, “Did fate tell you to adopt Madzie?”

“Perhaps,” Magnus said, trying to follow, “Fate works mysteriously.”

“Not many gods care about those babies,” Alec said, “What shapes people’s choices are their experiences. You did something very human by choosing to care about a baby maybe because were never cared for. You wanted to be cared for by someone who made their own choice,” Alec said, tightening his grip on Magnus’ hand which made Magnus aware of Alec’s pulse thumping in his palm.

Alec stayed quiet, watching Magnus’ profile alight by fire.

Magnus’ Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he held back a quiet, squeezed sob. Magnus placed his hand over his eyes, hiding his emotional damage but it didn’t hide the steaks of tears running over the ugly grimace of misery.

Alec kept holding his hand through it, staying very still and very quiet for several long moments. He waited until Magnus’ breaths evened out.

“I’m sorry,” Alec said finally, “I didn’t mean—”

Magnus cut him off, “No, I needed to hear that. I should have seen it in myself,” he said, bringing Alec’s hand up to his face. Alec lent in, using his thumb to wipe the god’s tears away. Alec did so like it was his duty, like a ritual he had performed a hundred times, and having Alec’s hand there made Magnus smile at him softly.

“You just want to save people,” Alec said, “And that’s good. It’s moral, as far as I can say. I’m not a god, though.”

“And you killed to stay alive,” Magnus said sadly, leaning his cheek into Alec’s hand, “Which was not your choice. Know that you were put there. You didn’t choose to be constrained to kill or be killed. The hounding was not your fault, or your mother’s. It was an element of fate which hurt you. But now you’re free, and you can use that to stop others from being so cruel to each other.”

“I don’t want to become like the gods,” Alec stated, “I don’t ever want to kill again. It’s easy to think of my victims their faces those of animals, but I knew they were like Maia: Cursed ad infinitum. What right did I have to choose to survive over them? I thought I was doing it for Izzy, but I don’t know anymore.”


	8. The Invention of Coffee

  
  
Maia and Alec had never been in a desert before, but suddenly they found themselves trekking across a sea of beige shards, the sun casting a golden heat over their tired bodies.

“We’re following the sun for directions, right?” Maia asked, her chiton had to be adapted to prevent her from getting burned. 

“This jewel,” Magnus said, raising it over his head, ever the thespian.

“We’re following a rock,” Maia said, “I guess it’s better than a hellhound,” she muttered.

“Why would you think we’d follow a hellhound?” Alec said. He carried Madzie in his cloak, taking a turn so Magnus could concentrate on his task. Magnus could definitely care for a baby and track down Alec’s sister at once,but he just found men holding babies hot. It was simply natural philosophy. Alec didn’t need to know that he was fulfilling a fluff task. Plus, the man was quite good at responding to Madzie’s every need, including stopping to change her when she had that ‘I’m about to poop’ look on her face, a contorted heavily serious look which struck Magnus as hilarious. If anyone was tracking them, they could possibly do it by following the occasional baby poop buried in the dunes.

“My brother once tried making a pact with a hellhound,” Maia deadpanned. “It didn’t end well.”

Alec glared at her, a natural response of having the sun directly over her head. Her hair doubled as a halo of light. “You have a brother?” Alec said.

“Had a brother,” Maia corrected him curtly, “You think I’d be in charge if he was around?” Maia rolled her eyes, “He was stabbed to death. The little shit decided to go pick a fight with helots and one of them shanked him until he could pass for a bath pumice.”

Magnus grimaced, “Happy thoughts around the baby,” he reminded them with forced brightness.

“That was happy,” Maia said, “He deserved it. One more madman for Hades to drive nuts.”

“Aren’t all Spartans cruel?” Alec said. “You’re not exactly the paragon of kindness over there. I used to fight your people when I lived with helots.”

“I can’t argue that our people are nuts in general,” Maia said, “But at least we don’t cage our women.”

“Instead you make them do drills,” Alec said.

Maia bristled, “To make us stronger so we’re not weaklings who can’t fight back when someone is being an ass to us! We’re allowed to speak our minds!”

“Your people are starved at a young age,” Alec shot back.

“You think sneezing equals birth control!” Maia cried.

Magnus shook his head and kept going. At least their bickering passed the time.

Hours later after all the mortals had eaten, a grand city appeared on the horizon. It was made of pillars glazed with yellow and blue. A warm brown stone with lively painting could be seen all the way to where they were. As they neared, Magnus noticed merchants were selling their wares outside of the city walls while construction workers used tar to fill the holes created from wars.

The moment they entered the proximity of the city, they were hit with a million wonderful smells. This was no longer an ocean side fish depo, but a multi-ethnic center of trade and wonders.

Magnus had to keep himself from getting distracted by the things around him. He was always interested in seeing if the trade network of somewhere he visited previously reached a faraway city like the one he was currently visiting. He saw few trade networks reaching as far as the ones the Maya used—those were masterpieces—but he still looked around curiously for perhaps something made of carbon steel that came from the Haya people or a piece of fine clothing he saw with the Vyatichi. He spotted neither and pouted.

“What’s wrong?” Alec said, striding over to him and looking at him like he was checking his vitals.

“I miss some of my travel spots,” Magnus said, “I never know if they’ll still exist when I return there.”

“Don’t be such a downer in front of the baby,” Maia said, “Places change, that’s how the world works.”

“I know,” Magnus sighed. “Though it was worth thinking about never the less.”

“At least you wrote it down,” Maia said, “Just don’t bring those close to fire,” she pointed in the general direction of his satchel full of his scrolls.

“I will protect them with my life and yours if need be.” Magnus promised.

Maia stared at him entirely unimpressed.

“Yes I know, don’t ‘be such a downer around the baby.” Magnus reminded her, fully expecting to get swatted.

One thing that Babylon had which few others did were magnificent gardens. Their evergreens were fed by pools with long spouts to keep the plants hydrated in the bitter heat.

A pavilion met at the axis and provided lovely shade. Shade Magnus longed for if only to make sure Alec didn’t become a lobster in this cruel sun—which was quickly becoming a reality.

“How far are we?” Alec asked lowly. He was quite red. Maybe the herb garden they were walking by would have remedies for heat stroke. Maia was taking this like an expert. How Alec survived out in the woods for so long was currently being questioned in Magnus’ mind.

“Magnus?” Alec repeated, breaking him out of his daze.

“Nearly there,” Magnus said, “No need to worry.”

They turned into an area of the city with a lot of candle decor and some wheat bread. Magnus could tell they had stumbled into another culture because the clothing and language changed, although he couldn’t pinpoint the difference just yet.

He brought his friends into a place which smelt like bitter brew, but not alcohol. It was a smell Magnus knew from somewhere, but he could not remember from where exactly. He’d visited so many places that most of the time it all blurred into one.

Vivid pottery surrounded them while people sat on couches sipping a dark drink.

“Hello, can I get you anything?” A handsome man asked. He was taller than Magnus by several inches, a feat Magnus wasn’t used to. Alec was a bit taller than him too but not by much.

“We’ll take two drinks, please,” Magnus said, waving back at his companions.

After a little confusion on coinage, Magnus turned back to his friends.

“Do you know what he said?” Maia asked.

“I asked him for drinks,” Magnus replied.

“No, I mean his language. What is it called?”

The man returned, “Are you Greek?” he asked in fluent Greek, “It’s been a while since I’ve had Greek customers.”

Maia brightened. “Yes, we’re travelling to meet up with some family,” she explained. “I’m Maia this is Magnus, Madzie and Alec.”

“I’m Luke,” he replied generously.

“So, what do people drink around here? This man neglected to tell us that before he ordered.” Maia said, looking to Magnus who shrugged.

“It’s a drink from me and my wife’s home country. It makes you more awake. Some people find it stressful, but I personally like the taste of  it.” Luke explained.

“You’ve got quite a mixed business,” Magnus said, just noticing the knitwear which was also being sold.

“Ah yes,” Luke chuckled, “Catarina and I are hosting some people who recently moved here. They’re artisans. Pretty good too. I was never a big pottery fan, but they make it work.”

“Indeed,” Magnus said, “Completely off topic from pottery but do you happen to know an Isabelle?” Magnus asked, leaning on the counter with his hip jutting out. “We heard she’s around here,” in this building, he wanted to say but that would be… creepy.

“Are you here to ask her to marry too?” Luke said with raised eyebrows.

Alec looked like if someone looked at him in the wrong way he would throw them into the pottery.

“No,” Magnus said carefully, eyeing Alec, “Her brother Alexander,” he said, stepping aside to introduce him, “Has been searching for her since they parted six years ago. It’s kind of difficult to find someone you don’t know the address of.”

Luke appraised Alec, “I’ll have to ask her if she wants to see him.”

Alec paled under his sunburn.

“We’ve heard this trick before,” Luke said, “Her ‘brother’ wants to see her. Although your Greek is much better than the last guy’s.”

“Who do I need to murder?” Alec said underhandedly.

“Hey, Alexander,” Magnus chided, “No killing, remember?”

“Can I make an exception?” Alec said.

“Mmh, tempting,” Magnus replied, “But no. We want to make sure your sister is okay, not get yourself publicly executed before you even see her, again.”

“You’re both terrible,” Maia announced. She turned to Luke, “Look, they’re joking. We’re not that bad, they just have a really twisted sense of humour and the walk through an entire desert didn’t help either. Which is one desert too many. I mean, look at this guy, he’s blood red and peeling,” she motioned to Alec.

Alec was probably blushing but his burned skin concealed it.

“My wife is a doctor,” Luke said sympathetically, “even if you’re not who you say you are, that _has got_ to be painful.”

“Honestly,” Alec said, “I don’t care about my skin all that matter is that my sister is safe and happy,” he said frantically.

Luke rubbed the back of his neck, “My wife is out midwifing two streets away and my tenants are at the synagogue for midday prayer. I need to take care of these customers. How about you all sit, have some coffee and I will come get you when I don’t have my hands full.”

So, they found themselves sitting on couches, drinking a bitter drink and exchanging life experience with the people surrounding them. They learned that the leader of Babylon stole most of the people living in this quarters for their skills and leadership. They used to live in Judah, but they’d been exiled to this place by Nebuchadnezzar.

Magnus watched Maia’s expressions as she listened with such intensity. She asked few questions, but when she did, they held weight and moral depth. It reminded him that she had accepted being his pupil.

Alec meanwhile half-listened and half played with Madzie. He held her close to his face so she could see him as he made funny expressions. If he stuck his tongue out, she did too, learning from him through mimicry. Magnus felt a strange need to kiss them both on the cheek as affectionately as possible. In fact, everything Alec did made Magnus want to be affectionate, which brought about that strange bitter feeling which he was hoping to avoid. It wasn’t an easy thing to suppress when the man in question was nuzzling a baby and grinning despite being in pain all over his body. His face blistered, and each blister resembled water drops, some already yellowing. It took incredible self-control for Magnus not to just heal him right there then, but he didn’t want to give himself away to the masses. They’d only just arrived.

Isabelle was upstairs somewhere. Magnus could feel her presence and his anticipation of meeting her was mixed. He hoped she wasn’t rude like the way Jace was to him. He really wanted to make a positive impression.

If she would only come downstairs, even for a peek they wouldn’t need to wait, though she was busy and so was Luke. If he listened carefully enough, he could hear footsteps on the second floor, sometimes other sounds which did not make sense to him, like creaking wood and knocks. This waiting was utter misery.

Just them a gorgeous woman came through the door with blankets covered in blood. She rushed out back where she most likely cleaned them, and when she returned, Luke pointed her to their strange quartet. The moment Magnus saw her he wanted all her beauty secrets. Her snowy hair was twisted with silver clasps under a white veil, her eyes surrounded by dark chalk with luminescent edges of blue. Even in simple work clothes she looked statuesque.

“I’m Catarina,” the woman said without changing her expression, “Luke told me one of you,” she looked over to where Alec was sitting, “is suffering from a severe case of sunburn. I’m going to go and get some yogurt and aloe vera to help with the pain but first, I need to make sure you’re truly who you say you are.”

Alec shut his eyes with a sigh, then opened them as he started speaking, “My name is Alec, short of Alexander. Our parents are Maryse and Robert of Lightwood. Our adoptive brother’s name is Jace. He is now married with children. She should know that. When we were children I used to braid her hair. Izzy had this toy sword which she took everywhere which was named _the destroyer_.”

Catarina took a few seconds to digest what she just heard, “That’s more detailed than I was expecting. I’ll go see what Isabelle thinks of this tale” and she turned around and went upstairs.

“Personally, the anticipation is killing me,” Magnus said, “I’ve always loved a good mystery.”

Catarina, with Isabelle at her heels, came down the ladder back into the shop. Isabelle was all shawls, her vest cinched at the waist showing off the curve of her hips. She wore embroidered edges of electrum filament and lapis-lazuli. Her face a soft heart shape with reddened lips.

Alec watched her come down with fear flashing in his eyes, “Izzy,” he choked, handing Madzie back to Magnus. Isabelle threw herself into Alec’s arms. “Izzy, are you wearing red lipstick?”

She pulled away from him, “That’s what you noticed?” She said angrily, “I haven’t seen you in years and when I finally do the first thing you ask me is if I’m a _prostitute_?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I added a couple mentions of the Jewish exile to Babylon after the destruction of the first Temple in Judah. Although I am monotheistic, I'm not Jewish myself and am open to criticism by anyone who is. If I have done something terribly wrong in the story, comment below and I'll probably change my entire approach, or erase my story altogether. The last thing I want to do is ruin someone's day.


	9. The God in the Gardens

Alec didn’t seem to know what to say.

“The answer is no. Unlike in Athens, one can wear red lipstick here and it doesn’t mean that one is a prostitute.”

The whole café was silent, even the other coffee drinkers had fallen quiet.

“I was just afraid,” Alec shut himself up when he noticed the look in her eyes.

“Let’s try this again,” Isabelle said, “I’m so happy to see you Alec. You’re alive, I’m alive, and we’re both in healthy. Well other than the fact that you look like you’ve been flayed alive.”

“Close enough,” Alec said, “Izzy, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make assumptions it’s just a habit I have developed over the years.”

“Already forgotten,” Isabelle said, “Now tell me about Jace’s wife. I need to know everything.”

“Really?” Alec said.

“Don’t you care who he’s married to?” Isabelle exclaimed. “Oh, my gods, Alec!”

“I barely thought about it,” he mumbled, “She’s nice, I guess.”

“The Alec I know would have cared about this sort of thing.”

“I only saw him for two days, Izzy.”

“How is that an excuse?” Isabelle said.

“To his credit he did take an arrow for me,” Maia said, stepping in. She thrust out her hand to Isabelle, “Maia, future Queen of Sparta.”

Isabelle’s eyes looked like they were going to pop from her head.

“If you’re surprised by who I am you’re going to lose it when you find out who are tour guide is,” Maia said, thumbing back to Magnus who waved.

It turned out that Isabelle had a home training room on the second floor, her bedroom was a mix between clothing designs and sand bags which she kicked for strength. They cozied on pillows she set down on the floor, and she served tea while they explained their journey, or rather Maia explained it, Magnus sat listening and correcting when needed, and Alec was somewhere with Catarina getting acquainted with the medical properties of auroch’s milk yogurt.

Isabelle listened intently. When she crossed her arms and pushed her head forward she looked so much like her brother. Her eyes barely left Maia for the time they spoke. Magnus suspected her attention was not all on the story, but he didn’t mention it, he saw a similar fire in Maia’s eyes and a set of nervous smiles mixed into the story. He was starting to understand why Isabelle hadn’t married yet.

Madzie was getting antsy and needed to be fed, so Magnus excused himself to walk around the building while feeding Madzie from the bottle he’d brought. He wondered if they sold breast milk at the market, he would have to check later the day seeing as it was a horrible idea to visit the market midday. Most of the vendors were likely sleeping.

He rubbed her back after her burps and comforted her with kisses on her head. She seemed to like the warmth of skin. When he pressed her to his chest, she instantly fell asleep. Worm sized fingers tangling with his the necklaces and pendants around his neck.

Down the corridor, he heard Catarina giving Alec instructions about not going into the sun for couple of days. But it was the thrumming of an instrument which peaked his interest. It came from a deck at the end of the corridor, around the bend. The garden outside spilled to into patios, and Magnus walked out onto the neighbouring rooftop garden.

“What is that instrument you’re playing called?” Magnus asked the musician when he stopped strumming.

“A _kinnor_ ,” the man responded with a smile, “You’re part of the group Luke was talking about, aren’t you? I’m Simon, one of Luke’s tenants.”

“That I am, Magnus,” Magnus responded.

“Your baby is adorable,” Simon said, getting up to introduce himself to Madzie. “You know Catarina complimented you on your efforts of keeping her out of the sun during your trip. She’s surprised her skin stayed, you know, like that.”

“We would never risk it,” Magnus said.

“Who are her parents?”

Magnus hummed, “I haven’t met them. She was supposed to die of exposure outside one of the cities we visited before starting our journey but we couldn’t allow that to happen.”

Simon ran a hand through his hair, “That sucks. Like Cat, for example, would adopt a child on a whim, you know? She’s always wanted a kid, but she never got pregnant cause it would take time away from her saving people.”

Magnus liked this Catarina more and more by the minute, “If she’s looking to adopt, I may offer Madzie. You are all living safely in one place and it would be easier for Madzie to grow up in a single unit. As much as I love this child, I only saved her life, I didn’t prepare for the village I would need to help raise her.”

“I’ll tell Cat that,” Simon said.

“So, you’re a musician?” Magnus said, walking with Simon around the garden.

“I play for the coffee drinkers,” Simon said, “They enjoy the music nights, I think. They haven’t thrown their sandals at me so far, so I must be doing something right. I’ve only ever been hit with a handful of figs. I’m pretty sure that was a compliment well that is how I took it anyways. Figs are amazing.”

Magnus raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “Figs?”

“Yeah, but my regular job is pottery. My wife, Maureen does the knit designs and thinks of new scenes and I just blaze that stone, you know?”

Magnus had a vague idea, but Simon didn’t wait for him to say if he knew at all.

“My parents were potters and I recently moved out since I got married. I do miss my friends back in Judah, but I have some amazing new friends here. Like Luke and Cat.” Magnus realized that Simon, once prompted didn’t really have an off button when he started speaking.

Magnus cut him off mid-sentence when he was describing the kind of vases his mother couldn’t stand, “Do I made you nervous, Simon?”

Simon laughed uncertainly, “I guess. You have this all imposing vibe about you and you look rich and I guess I don’t even really know how you’re connected to Isabelle?”

There is was, “I’m acting as her brother’s guardian for a bit until he finds her,” he said, “So I’m more connected to Alec than Isabelle.”

“And the hot Spartan chick?” Simon said, then sputtered.

“Also, a friend” Magnus said, ignoring the comment, “Sometimes you make friends in a week, sometimes over months of bonding, or in one day over a lion-boar massacre. We’re a strange group of friends, but friends nonetheless,” he assured.

“Right,” Simon said apprehensively. “Where did you learn Hebrew?” he asked suddenly.

Magnus lied, but he didn’t want to say he just simply understood all human languages, “I picked it up when I worked as a merchant about a year back.”

“We mostly speak Aramaic here, sometimes Akkadian,” Simon explained.

“I can speak those too,” Magnus said, “Advantage of being a frequent traveler.”

“I wish I could just travel anywhere I wanted,” Simon said, and then started off on another tangent.

 

ΔΔΔ

 

That night Magnus found himself in a room with three beds on the floor. Maia was out with Isabelle drinking and he didn’t feel like entertaining, even although he was the guest. Luke and Catarina offered to rent them a room during their time there and Magnus paid for it, wanting Isabelle to spend some time with Alec. But that hadn’t happened. Instead, Alec was burned and barely moving on his bed. He could hear Catarina and Luke talking about the possibility of adopting Madzie. Everything felt even more unstable then in Greece. It was the new community, and the talk with Alec that still rang in his mind.

“Are you awake?” Magnus said to Alec on the hay mattress next to him.

Alec made a positive noise, turning his head to look at Magnus. He looked swollen and tired.

Magnus must have been looking at him strangely because Alec said, “It’s okay, I’m awake. What’s bothering you?” He put out his burned hand on Magnus’ mattress. Magnus took it carefully in his, having something to examine as he spoke.

“Have you ever been in love?” Magnus asked.

“Barely,” Alec said uncomfortably, turning away a bit to look up at the low ceiling, “I don’t know. Why?”

“Because I think I’m starting to fall,” Magnus said, “It creeps up on me ready to pounce and push me over the edge. It makes me feel lesser.”

“Nothing should make you feel that way, Magnus,” Alec said tightly, eyes hard with resolve, “Gods fall in love all the time. It’s not unnatural.”

“It’s true that I’ve felt it many times,” Magnus said, “But being with gods is different than feeling it around humans. Humans don’t have a fixed identity or continuity, and I’ve never thought of how much I’ve wanted to be with a human until recently.” he soothed Alec’s hand, looking up from his hand to his eyes. “It makes me want to feel more. At first, I thought I was doing this to understand my mother, but I realize her situation is too complicated to comprehend. It was out of any deities’ control,” Magnus said, “I don’t think taking on a mortal experience will help me understand her at all. Though I want to do it for my own curiosity. What it is like loving a mortal as a mortal rather than like two beams of light colliding without being a part of the explainable universe.”

Alec licked his chapped lips pulling Magnus’ gaze there, “You should try,” Alec said blearily, “You have nothing to lose, not your integrity or your morals. It’s just another experience. If you really want it, you shouldn’t be afraid of making the choice.”

“But what if the person doesn’t want me?” Magnus said, “What if I’ve predicted wrong?”

“It’s not a lethal mistake,” Alec said, running his thumb on Magnus’ knuckles, “You always have others to fall back on. You’re not alone in the world, Magnus. You don’t need to suffer like you are.”

“Thank you, Alexander,” Magnus said softly.

 

ΔΔΔ

 

Five days of renting later, a message arrived from Sparta which tore Magnus’ hopes apart.

“My brother is alive,” Maia said over their collective meal, “And he’s taking the throne. If he gets coronated as king he’ll make everyone I know suffer. The gods wrote I have forty days until I’m married in Sparta. If I go back to Sparta, he’ll humiliate or kill me. If I disobey the gods, they’ll humiliate or kill me. I need to get back to Sparta and kill him before he’s crowned.”

Luke opened his mouth to add something, but Catarina shook her head, “Luke, we can’t ask our king too send an army to support them, That would imply that Persia is declaring war against Greece. On top of that, there is no way to reach Greece in time.”

Simon dropped his piece of naan and everyone turned to him. “Why are you looking at me? I’m a musician,” he said, “I can’t even kill flies!”

Magnus felt his good mood blackening in apprehension and whitening in death like a burning stick when Maia turned to Alec.

“You need to help me,” she said, then turned to Magnus, “Magnus, you too. Please.”

“Maia, I’m not a killer,” Magnus said, “And if I return, the Greek gods might war against me. I do not have the support to conduct a war of my own. We already saw how petty they were when I helped Alec, they are totally fine with shooting themselves in the foot if it means being the only gods in power.”

“I can help you,” Alec said in between bites to Maia, splaying a hand on the floor, “I know the rounds of the guards, I know how to get in and get out without being killed.”

“Alexander, if you return, you will have to serve her term. You were there when the promise was made,” Magnus said weakly.

“If I don’t go, Maia might not make it,” Alec said, “I can’t risk her life Magnus, you of all people should know this about me.” he said bluntly, emotionlessly like Magnus absolutely understood, and Magnus did in terms of wanting Maia alive, but he didn’t in terms of Alec constantly sacrificing his life and happiness for Maia. Alec only just broke his curse and he was being led headlong back into another one by the same people. Alec was resigning to himself to his fate again and Magnus didn’t know where he’d gone wrong.

 

“Isabelle,” Alec said, unclasping the chain he wore since the first time he’d gotten it, “I need to go, and I want you to have your ruby. It will keep you safe.”

Isabelle shook her head, “You’re keeping it and I’m coming with you,” she said, “If the Greek gods want the Lightwoods to lead Sparta, we’re going to give them our best, Big Brother.”

“Izzy—” Alec protested.

“Last time I was too young to stop what happened,” Isabelle said, “But I’m older now, I know how the world works, and believe me, you and Maia need me.”

Magnus felt like he was watching a chariot crash, his hopes for their safety trampling under the hooves of injured horses.

“It’s settled then,” Maia said. “We’ll take a boat from the Euphrates river and get back to Sparta faster than by foot.”

 

ΔΔΔ

 

Later that night Magnus cornered Alec in their room, broiling with anger towards the self-sacrificing mortal. “So that’s it, you’re just going to walk back into another curse? Do you not care about your safety at all?” Magnus said.

Alec didn’t respond but Magnus could see his shoulders tightening.

“Why did I even bother helping you if you were just going to run right back to your enslavers?” Magnus said, already regretting his words.

Alec turned to look over his shoulder at him, “Are you insinuating that I wanted to be enslaved in the first time?”

Magnus shook his head, “No, Alexander, I shouldn’t have—”

“It must be so easy to be a god,” Alec said, “Everything planned out for you, whether you feel pain or vulnerability everything is under your control.”

Magnus watched him in horror.

Alec continued, speaking in the mumble he used when he was too angry to pronounce his words fully, “You are so afraid of breaking your comfort zone that you never did the one thing you’ve been travelling for and now you’re angry that you never had the chance.”

Magnus felt like his soul had exhausted itself, slowly shutting down.

“I’m trying to do what your godly status can’t, which is protect the one you love. You may not be able to return to Greece without having the gods target you, but I can. Why can’t you see that I’m trying to help you?” Alec said, hands jutting out as he spoke.

“Trying to help me?” Magnus repeated. “How is walking back into chains helping me?”

“I know you’re worried, but I promise I will do everything to keep us alive.” Alec said, not seeming to understand why Magnus’ eyes were filling with tears. He came over and hugged Magnus around the shoulders, “She’ll be okay, I’ll do everything in my power.”

Magnus felt like he would be shaking if he was mortal, but as Alec pointed out, he didn’t know if that would be the case because he never tried.

“Who?” Magnus asked finally catching up with the conversation.

“Maia,” Alec said, “Unless you’ve fallen in love with Isabelle then—”

“Why,” Magnus said, pushing Alec back, “Do you think I’ve fallen in love with Maia?”

“You asked me about love the other night and I know you’ve been watching over her since the start of all of this.” Alec said, “Gods falling in love with mortal princesses is the oldest story in history, you don’t need to be ashamed.”

Magnus crumpled further into himself, “Don’t touch me,” Magnus said when Alec looked like he wanted to comfort him again. Alec backed up several steps, nearly tripping on the mattress behind him.

“Why do you think I’ve been helping you Alec?” Magnus asked with a forced calm.

“Because I’m a charity case,” Alec said, “Like Madzie. You’re a good person Magnus. You’ve always had a soft spot for people like us, for abandonment, and I’ll always be in your debt.”

Magnus shut his eyes, a stray tear zipping down his face, He heard Isabelle call from downstairs, telling Alec to get moving or they would miss their ship.

“I have to go,” Alec said.

Magnus stepped towards him and plucked the amethyst piece out of Alec’s chain, the one right under the ruby, “You won’t be needing this anymore,” he said, “because I can’t help you.”

“We’ll manage,” Alec said, Isabelle’s calls getting louder, “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Magnus said.

“For this to end this way. I wish I could replace Maia. I would if I could. Especially if it would make you happy.”

“It was never about Maia,” Magnus said, “Dear Alexander, I like Maia, but I was always in love with you,” he said sadly and then, before getting Alec’s response he teleported himself out to the rooftop garden. Lying on the tiles with the bull carvings and clay pots, Magnus blocked out the noises of the neighborhood and looked heavenward.

 

ΔΔΔ

 

After their swift departure, Magnus stayed a couple of weeks with Catarina and the rest of the people that lived with them. Magnus spent most of his time with Catarina, talking about medicine and childcare. His hope was to make sure that Catarina and Luke were ready to adopt, but even without these talks it was clear enough that they were going to be wonderful parents.

Sometimes Magnus wandered Babylon’s gardens, appreciating the cedars and brightly glazed bricks. He looked into the motionless eyes of dragon and lion reliefs. These sunny days were spent in mental exhaustion and Magnus felt bound to Babylon during them. It would only be a matter of time before he moved on to a new destination.

Alec never came back to Persia, to Magnus.

 

ΔΔΔ

 

That night the rainy season started in Babylon, Magnus kissed Madzie’s forehead for the last time. She’d been crying at the loudness of the thunder. Every cry a torment to the people in the house who could do nothing but try in vain to sooth her. 

Magnus changed the composition of his body so that, for the first time in his long life, he wore human flesh. Her screaming hurt his ears, and he relished the pain, a feeling he never knew. With a couple of rubs on her back, she quieted down and he passed her to Catarina. It was strange, the feeling of holding a furnace like child and then giving them away. He now knew what it felt like to be cold.

Magnus didn’t tell the others that he could feel now, they weren’t particularly close to him, not enough that he wanted to tell them about his experiences. Instead he wrote how he felt down, drawing diagrams, cross referencing his experiences with some of Catarina’s medical texts.

He’d was right when he assumed that being human felt out of control. Sometimes he would walk and there would be a pain while nothing seemed to have prompted it while some food felt like a disaster on his tongue. Magnus took each of those experiences in stride, promising himself that he would stay in a mortal body until he reached his home again. And he did.


	10. Epilogue

 

It had been a hundred years since he met Alec Lightwood and thirty since he’d heard from him. Well, heard was the wrong word. When Alec first burnt an offering for Magnus again, Magnus nearly tripped over a goat and off a Tibetan mountain. Luckily, he only tripped onto the goat.

The offerings were how he knew Alec hadn’t forgotten him. From that day on, for twenty years, Magnus received offerings from one person far across the world to the point that when they stopped, he felt starved. No amount of human food made up for what it felt like to lose that energy and affection.

It took Magnus two weeks to realize that Alec was never going to give him another offering and that was likely because Alec’s body was ten feet underground. No one took up the offerings after Alec stopped. It ended on a whim, just like life.

Magnus had tried love many other times after his initial heartbreak with Alec. He loved men and women alike, enjoying the comforts of the body, the pleasure of the flesh. Love was sacred to Magnus, and he always treated it that way. His first love was such a horrible disaster of a situation he did everything to protect his next loves from the same miscommunication. He’d underestimated how little Alec thought of himself and it was only part of the reason for his undoing.

Now he was back on his homeland where everything was more vibrant, where clothes had warm browns and reds and the palms curled into each other to make shade in the sunny late afternoon. Even the weaved baskets helped him breathe better and contentment smothered his foul mood.

Magnus loved the feeling of walking barefoot on a dirt path near the flowers people strung together for the oncoming festival.

Someone was coming down the path in a brightly decorated conical hat, behind him he dragged a sled with bags and belongings tied down. A traveler, Magnus thought. The traveler stopped right where Magnus was crossing paths with him and said, “Excuse me, sir, I’m looking for an enchanter.” Magnus opened his mouth to ask what kind of enchanter only to freeze and then rip the conical hat off the man in question.

“Alexander, how the Hell are you alive?”

“Would you rather me dead?” Alec said, looking youthful as he had when Magnus first met him. Even here, as if in a sun baked dream, Alec rubbed at the back of his neck nervously.

“Of course not!” Magnus exclaimed, “How did you even find me?”

“I asked hundreds of cave spirits for a man named Magnus Bane. It’s almost like it’s a pseudonym,” Alec said, eyebrows in his hairline as he gazed at Magnus accusingly.

“I can explain,” Magnus said quickly.

“Magnus, the Scandinavians haven't even met the Romans yet. What kind of crack are you trying to make in the time-space continuum?” Alec said.

“You’re a god.” Magnus said in amazement, “You’re no longer human, are you?  There’s no way you’d know that since it hasn’t happened yet unless you've visited an oracle.”

Even as a god, Alec blushed, fidgeting further, “I… I was turned into a minor god of justice after my time in Sparta.”

It was Magnus’ turn to raise his eyebrows. Internally, though, his mortal form was buzzing with excitement he could barely contain. “Is that why you stopped sending me offerings?”

Alec nodded, “It doesn’t work like it did when I was human—my offerings came through?”

“Every one of them,” Magnus said proudly, “We have so much to catch up on. Let’s go to my house, and you’re not running back to Sparta until we’ve talked.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Alec said easily, yelping when Magnus yanked him in a new direction.

 

ΔΔΔ

 

In a vine covered cave near green waters, Magnus sapped up the details. It turned out that Maia married a Spartan after assassinating her brother. Alec didn’t marry her, but rather stayed in the background as her guard. She married a soft-spoken Spartan named Bat, but courted Isabelle and never had a child with Bat. In the time they took over Sparta, they managed to abolish the Helot slavery system and encourage Spartans to do their own agriculture. Essentially, Magnus learned that they destroyed the Spartan kingdom as a military dictatorship in less than twenty years. It had been a tumultuous time, one which didn’t leave much time to find Magnus.

“When I was sure Sparta was safe, I started on a journey across the lands,” Alec said, “It took asking a man named Odin for directions.”

“Odin, yes, a good drinking pal,” Magnus said, “He’s something else.”

Magnus noticed Alec was just smiling at him but when Magnus cocked his head at him, Alec smiled less, instead he looked down at his hands. “I’m sorry for all those years back, I read the situation wrong. I did like you, I just didn’t want to have my heart broken. I thought what I imagined made more sense, but looking back on it, it didn’t.”

“You liked me?” Magnus said.

“And I still do,” Alec said self-consciously, “I loved hearing your stories and I loved hearing stories about you from all the people who knew you from your travels. I came here to apologize and to say, you deserved better.”

“Alexander, I don’t deserve a person,” Magnus explained, “Life happened. You never belonged to me in the material sense. Please tell me you know that?”

Alec did, “I got that, but later. It’s difficult to differentiate. I really wanted to be yours.”

“You didn’t owe me your body, Alec,” Magnus said.

“No, but I owed you understanding,” Alec said. “And owe you closure if you need it.”

Magnus smiled, “That’s very kind of you.”

“And I wanted to ask you, if you were still in love with me? You gave me another chance to live and I think I owe you a chance to love if you still want it,” Alec said.

Magnus scrunched his nose with his smile and tapped his lips with his finger, inviting Alec to kiss him.

“Oh, come here you Greek disaster!” Magnus said.

 

ΔΔΔ

 

**Bonus scene: Three weeks later**

 

Magnus dragged his anklet up Alec’s achilles tendon, smiling at himself at the shudder. Now that he could feel mortal reactions, he would keenly learn just how much pressure to give his lover. He wanted Alec to feel the pleasure of touch the way he was discovering it.

Tropical rain tore away outside but they were safe, not only because they were gods, but because they had each other.

 “Your lips are like petals,” Alec said huskily, leaning over him, “Your eyes like burning coals—mph,” Magnus sealed his words with a kiss, which buzzed across his skin. He hooked his leg around Alec’s waist, pulling him down onto him.

When he pulled his lips off Alec’s, a comical popping sound followed which made Magnus’ eyes crinkle in the corners. “You can’t use my own poetry for myself on me, you need to invent your own,” he said, raking his hand down Alec’s back, eliciting another gasp. 

Alec looked like he’d left his brain in the other room, his lips working to put words together. He took several moments while Magnus just laid there loving the sight of Alec trying to come up with something poetic. Alec’s hand shot out and grabbed Magnus’ wrist, bringing it up beside his head to stop his ministrations and fastening their fingers together. “Shall I compare you to a summer’s day?” Alec joked.

Magnus sputtered and swatted at his shoulder, “You can’t plagiarize from the future! What about your precious time-space continuum?”

Alec laughed into his neck, then rocked into Magnus’ lips, kissing tenderly at his mouth which fizzled with bliss.

 

_La Fin_


End file.
